YuGiOh! Delta: Rampage of the Numbers
by Rebster6
Summary: In this story, the Deltas will deal with a Deck that several of you wanted to see. Then, they'll get yet another encounter with everyone's favourite record-holding antagonist, Skyler. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

Dan awoke with a pounding headache.

His first thought was that he had a hangover. His second thought was to ask himself how he'd managed to get a hangover without consuming any alcohol. It wasn't until his third thought that he finally started to remember them events of the previous day.

Massaging his aching head, he pushed himself upright... and was startled to find himself in the living room rather than his bedroom. He'd somehow fallen asleep stretched across one of the sofas.

"Morning sleepyhead!" Leah chirped, an inch from his ear.

Dan nearly fell of the sofa with fright. "Jeez... don't do that!"

"Sorry," she grinned, standing up straight. "Oh wait, no I'm not!"

Dan hmphed in response. Then he asked, "How did I end up here?"

"Don't you remember?" she asked, stepping back into the kitchen area. "After we returned from the Kasen World, Professor Usur gave us a quick debriefing, then told us to go straight to bed." She grinned. "Everyone else made it to their rooms at least, but you just sprawled out where you are and fell asleep straight away."

"Couldn't you have woken me up and sent me to my proper bed," Dan asked. "I have a crick in my neck now."

"But you looked so sweet like that," Leah cooed, an evil grin on her face. "I didn't want to disturb you."

"Thank, I guess..." Dan murmured, pushing himself into a sitting position. By chance, his gaze slid over his right hand... and what he saw made his heart skip a beat. "WHOA!" he gasped, clutching his shaking wrist.

A blue number sixty-eight was etched onto the back of his hand.

He immediately panicked! His band must have failed him in the night, because that symbol outside of a duel could only mean one thing: he was about to be possessed!

"Leah! Come and look!" he cried desperately. "Now! Quickly! It's... it's..." he trailed off as he examined the symbol more closely, and found that it wasn't its normal blue colour. Nor was it glowing. Instead, it seemed to have been scrawled onto his hand with a blue felt-tip pen. He sighed. "Leah... I don't suppose this has anything to do with you by any chance…"

Leah couldn't hold it in anymore. She doubled over with hysterical laughter. "You should've seen your face! It was... oh god..." she clung to the counter for support, laughing her head off. "Oh why didn't I have my camera? That was priceless!"

"It's not funny!" Dan said, throwing a cushion at her. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

As Leah threw the cushion back, a bedroom door opened and Katie stepped into the room. She was fully dressed, but still had 'bed head' – her hair was all over the place. "What on earth's going on in here?" she asked. "I heard Dan scream... I thought something had happened."

"Yeah, _she_ happened," Dan said, point at Leah, then flipping his hand around to show Katie the pen marks.

Katie snorted with laughter. "Oh, I see... you got him good then?" Leah nodded, still struggling to control her own giggles.

"Yes, yes, very funny," Dan said, smiling as he started to see the funny side. "So where's James? And Matt?"

"James is still asleep," Katie said, pointing over her shoulder at her bedroom door. "I don't know about Matt-"

"In the shower..." Leah said, gasping for air.

"Are you quite finished?" Dan asked. She nodded, breathing deeply and calmly to control herself. "Right then," he grinned, stretching back out across the sofa and putting on a ridiculously posh voice. "Breakfast time I think. Ladies, bring me some bacon and eggs at once."

"Aren't you going to help cook?" Katie asked, genuinely surprised.

"Nope," he replied, closing his eyes sleepily. "Today's my unofficial day off."

"Rubbish," Leah said. "We did all the dueling yesterday; you three boys hardly did a thing. If anything, you should be making us breakfast."

Dan opened one eye and looked at her. "Alright then," he grinned. "I'll cook breakfast for you. All by myself. With no help. How does that sound?"

Leah gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth as she realised what that would mean. Katie quickly stepped in. "No no no, don't even think about it. The last thing we need is to burn this building down." She grinned sheepishly. "We nearly did that yesterday. Twice."

"To be fair, the second time it happened, we were in an alternate universe," Dan added.

"To be fair, the first time it happened, we were in this universe and you were incinerating an omelette," Leah pointed out.

Dan threw another cushion at her. "Hey. Five more minutes, and that masterpiece would've been complete."

"Five more minutes, and that masterpiece would've turned this building into a chimney," she teased. "Ten more minutes, and it would've burnt the city to the ground."

Dan laughed, and started to argue back when he was interrupted by an alarm. A loud, warbling alarm that filled the entire apartment with noise. They all recognised it: it was the alarm that told them one thing. A Number had just been detected, and that they had to go and fetch it.

"You must be joking..." Katie groaned.

"Seriously? Now?" Dan said, pushing himself upright again. "They're going to send us out now?"

Leah scooped her D-Gazer off the table and quickly dialled a call to Professor Usur. As usual, it was answered very quickly. "Yes? What is it?"

"Good morning Professor," Leah said, having to raise her voice over the sound of the alarm. "I just wanted to check something with you. It's just that... well... the alarm's going off in our room."

"I'm well aware," Usur replied. "And you're wasting valuable time telling me this, so I suggest you get a move on."

"But, sir..." Leah said dejectedly. "After everything that happened yesterday, we were just hoping that... you know... we could have a day off today. I mean, we have been through a lot..."

"You're absolutely right," Usur said. "You most certainly should take a day off. And while you're doing that, I'll just pop out and tell the Number holder to put his rampage on hold for a few hours!"

Leah's face fell as she realised that he was being sarcastic. "Yeah, but-"

"BUT NOTHING!" the Professor roared in her ear. "The Numbers don't operate on your schedule, little girl! You don't get to choose when Numbers do and do not appear! Now I suggest you get your team moving and retrieve that Number, or there _will_ be consequences!" The line went dead abruptly.

She sighed and removed her D-Gazer. "He said-"

"We heard," Katie replied. "He wasn't exactly whispering. I could hear _that_ over the ala-"

The door of the bathroom suddenly flew open, and Matt stepped out, with only a towel around his waist. His hair was covered in shampoo, water was dripping down his body, and he was brandishing a loofah as though it was a deadly weapon. "What's happening?" he gasped. "Are we under attack?"

"Nope, it's just the Number alarm," Katie grinned. "Looking good, by the way."

Matt suddenly became conscious of his appearance, and quickly retreated back into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. The girls giggled at him, and Dan shouted. "Get a move on, will you. The Professor sounded grumpy."

"It's not funny!" Matt shouted through the door, as the girls continued to laugh at him. "I'll be out in a sec..."

*SOME TIME LATER*

"Rock-paper-scissors! Rock-paper-scissors! Rock-paper-scissors!"

The Deltas were standing out in the warm summer's air, in one of the city's many duel parks. James had proven impossible to wake up, so they had simply left without him. At this time of day the park was deserted, which suited the Deltas just fine. They had found the Number holder – a stocky bearded guy who communicated mostly in complaints – and were now attempting to decide who would be dueling him. Unfortunately, rock-paper-scissors with four people almost always ended in a draw. Especially since one of their members was quite prone to cheating.

"Leah, for the last time, 'lizard' is not an acceptable choice in rock-paper-scissors." Dan said in exasperation.

"Which is what I've been saying all along!" Matt insisted. "Neither is spock. What exactly is a spock anyway?"

"Come on, guys," Leah grinned. "You must've heard of the classic game, rock-paper-scissors-lizard-spock. It's easy. Scissors cut paper, paper covers rock, rock crushes lizard, lizard poisons spock, spock smashes scissors. It's easy."

"Ok, but what about the branches?" Katie asked. "What if paper meets lizard?"

"Easy, lizard eats paper," Leah said. "There are branches for all of them. Scissors decapitate lizard, spock vaporizes rock, paper disproves spock..."

"Argh, my head..." Dan clutched his head in mock agony.

"Seriously, what is a spock?" Matt asked insistently.

"Ok, that's lovely and all..." Katie said. "But do you think that, for now, we can stick to the version that doesn't require a user manual?"

Leah sighed. "Alright then."

*THREE MINUTES AND TWELVE SPOCKS LATER*

"Yes!" Dan exclaimed, holding his triumphant lizard aloft.

"Aw..." Leah groaned, staring dejectedly at her defeated spock. "I wanted to duel this one."

Matt was the only one who had picked rock, and was staring at it in utter bewilderment. "Am I the only one still wondering what a spock is?"

"Pretty much," Katie said. "Good luck Dan."

He nodded in thanks, then stepped forward to face the Number holder. "Sorry about the wait, you ready to go?"

"Hmph, whatever," the holder grunted. "You've kept me waiting for long enough, now you get to be on the receiving end of my dueling power!"

The man had had plenty of time to prepare his equipment, so Dan hurriedly threw his gear on and linked his D-Gazer. The augmented reality field rose up around them. The man – who they had learnt was called Genjū – was making no attempt to hide his number; the glowing red number forty on his chest.

_"AR Vision – link established."_

"DUEL!"

**Genjū LP:** 4000

**Dan LP:** 4000

"I kept you waiting long enough, old timer," Dan said. "You can have the first move."

"Hmph, whatever," Genjū replied. "I draw. There's plenty of power in my hand, but I don't need it yet. For now, I Set one monster face-down and end my turn." His face-down monster materialized.

Dan blinked. This was unusually non-aggressive for a Number holder. Not that he was complaining. "My turn, draw. I Normal Summon Blizzard Dragon!" A predominantly blue dragon appeared.

Blizzard Dragon: Dragon-Type/WATER/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1000

"Battle! Blizzard Dragon, attack the face-down monster!" The blue dragon tilted its wings forward and rushed towards the face-down monster, which flipped up to receive the attack. It was a golden bird, with four wings in the shape of an "X". The dragon smashed straight through it.

Phantom Beast Cross-Wing: Beast-Warrior-Type/LIGHT/Level 4/ATK 1300/DEF 1300

"Phantom Beasts, is it? Alright, I'll place one card face-down and end my turn," Dan said, placing his hidden card on his duel disk.

"Then I draw," Genjū said, apparently completely unimpressed by Dan's move. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card, Fire Formation – Tenki." The Spell appeared on his field, and began to shimmer as though in a heat haze.

"Hey, I recognise that card," Leah exclaimed.

"You should do," Katie replied. "I used it against you in our very last duel."

"When this card is activated, I can add any Level four or lower Beast-Warrior-Type monster from my Deck to my hand. I choose Phantom Beast Wild-Horn." His duel disk extracted the card, which he placed into his hand. "Then I'll Normal Summon it. Appear, Phantom Beast Wild-Horn!" A bull-like creature appeared. It resembled a minotaur, with shining gold horns like an antelope, and a savage-looking blade in its hand.

Phantom Beast Wild-Horn: Beast-Warrior-Type/EARTH/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 0

"Why Summon that?" Dan asked. "It's weaker than my Blizzard Dra- wait a minute..." Suddenly the dots connected. "That Cross-Wing I destroyed last turn..."

"You betcha!" Genjū roared. He looked like an angry dwarf, jumping up and down, shouting at everything, and waving his duel disk in the air. "As long as Cross-Wing is in my Graveyard, all Phantom Beast monsters on the field – plus any monsters named Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts – gain 300 ATK!"

Phantom Beast Wild-Horn: ATK 1700 → 2000

"And don't forget my Spell Card!" he added, indicating his Fire Formation – Tenki card. "As long as this card stays face-up on the field, all Beast-Warrior-Type monsters I control gain an additional 100 attack points!"

Phantom Beast Wild-Horn: ATK 2000 → 2100

"Battle time! Onwards, Wild-Horn! Attack Blizzard Dragon!" The minotaur charged across the field at breakneck speed, and slashed at the dragon once, twice, three times. The dragon howled in pain and arched its neck, then exploded violently. Dan covered his face.

**Dan LP:** 4000 → 3700

"That all you got kiddo?" Genjū shouted, jumping up and down with glee. The red number forty on his chest flared brighter. "C'mon, heated duels are what I live for, and you're giving me nothing! Give me more! Give me everything you have! Right now!"

* * *

**Fun Fact #1: So who was it that wanted to see some Phantom Beast action? There were at least two of you.  
**

**Fun Fact #2: Ok, so, naming themes. The word Genjū is Japanese, and it literally means Phantom Beast. It's what the Phantom Beasts are called in the OCG. Call us unoriginal if you like.  
**

**Fun Fact #3: Before anyone asks, no, I still have no idea what a spock is. I choose to believe that it's the result of a rock and a spider falling in love...  
**

**Fun Fact #4: For those of you who are wondering why Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts was included in Cross-Wing's explanation, it's because Gazelle is actually a Phantom Beast monster. It was released long before the other Phantom Beasts, and as a result, when it was released in the TCG, they messed its name up (which they tend to do a lot). It's name should've been Phantom Beast King-Gazelle, or something similar. For now, just think of it as an undercover Phantom Beast.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Genjū LP:** 4000

Phantom Beast Wild-Horn: Beast-Warrior-Type/EARTH/Level 4/ATK 2100/DEF 0

Spell & Trap Card Zone: Fire Formation – Tenki

**Dan LP:** 3700

Spell & Trap Card Zone: 1 set card

"My turn, draw," Dan said, choosing to ignore his opponent's taunts. "I Normal Summon **Polaris Dragon Sona**!" A small black dragon appeared, with the horns of a mountain goat jutting out of its head.

**Polaris Dragon Sona: Dragon-Type/Tuner/WATER/Level 3/ATK 800/DEF 900**

"Next I Special Summon **Polaris' Frostling** from my hand!" A second, even smaller dragon suddenly materialised beside the first. It was a tiny blue thing that looked newly-hatched.

**Polaris' Frostling: Dragon-Type/WATER/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 100**

"You're looking a bit confused, old timer, so I'll explain," Dan grinned. "**Polaris' Frostling** can be Special Summoned straight from my hand if I control a face-up Polaris monster. With me so far?"

"Yeah, yeah," the short man grunted. "Just get a move on pipsqueak."

"As you wish. I activate **Polaris' Frostling**'s effect. By Tributing it, I can target and Special Summon one WATER Dragon-Type monster from my Graveyard." The miniature dragon dissipated. "Be reborn, Blizzard Dragon!" The larger dragon reappeared once again.

Blizzard Dragon: Dragon-Type/WATER/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1000

Pausing for a moment, he turned to his teammates. "Hey, you remember how I won that game of rock-paper-scissors-lizard-spock with a lizard?"

"Yeah," Leah said. "Your triumphant lizard. What about it?"

"Well, I reckon I'm going to win this duel the same way: with a triumphant lizard," Dan grinned. "Only this lizard will be a lot bigger!"

Leah laughed. "Go for it!"

Dan gave her the thumbs up. "Alrighty then, I tune the Level three **Polaris Dragon Sona** to the Level four Blizzard Dragon!" Sona lit up fully white, before dissipating to reveal three green Synchro rings, which aligned themselves in a tunnel-like formation, surrounding Blizzard Dragon. The dragon faded away, leaving behind four shining stars, which centred themselves within the rings. "Synchro Summon!" A beam of light shot down the line of stars, through the centre of the rings, and struck the ground behind him. "Arise! Gungnir, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!" The shimmering beam of light dissipated, and from within it, a wicked-looking blue dragon stepped out. It walked on four legs, and the entire inside of its body shone red through its blue icy skin, creating a sharp contrast.

Gungnir, Dragon of the Ice Barrier: Dragon-Type/Synchro/WATER/Level 7/ATK 2500/DEF 1700

"How's that for a triumphant lizard?" Dan grinned. "Now Gungnir's effect activates. By discarding up to two cards from my hand, I can destroy an equal number of cards on your field. So I discard **Polaris Dragon Islingh** to destroy Phantom Beast Wild-Horn!" He sent the card to his Graveyard, and in response, Gungnir reared up and pounced on Wild-Horn. The entire ground shook with the impact. The Beast-Warrior was crushed beneath the dragon's claws, and vanished with an anguished howl.

"GYAH, my Phantom Beast!" Genjū cried.

"Battle! Gungnir, direct attack!" From its position on Genjū's field, Gungnir turned to face him and opened its jaws wide. From deep within its throat came a rumbling noise, then a jet of icy breath shot from its mouth and struck Genjū with the force of a blizzard. He staggered back, struggling to stay on his feet.

**Genjū LP:** 4000 → 1500

"With that, I'll place one card face-down and end my turn," Dan grinned, placing the card on his duel disk as Gungnir lumbered back to his field.

By then, Genjū had regained his composure, and he was very cross. "Insolent little whippersnapper! I'll make you regret that entire move! My turn, draw! I Normal Summon Phantom Beast Cross-Wing!" A second copy of the golden bird from earlier appeared, looking particularly shiny next to Gungnir's dull icy colour.

Phantom Beast Cross-Wing: Beast-Warrior-Type/LIGHT/Level 4/ATK 1300/DEF 1300

"Oh, and since this is a Phantom Beast monster, the Cross-Wing in my Graveyard powers it up."

Phantom Beast Cross-Wing: ATK 1300 → 1600

"And of course, all Beast-Warrior-Type monsters I control gain another 100 ATK due to Fire Formation – Tenki!"

Phantom Beast Cross-Wing: ATK 1600 → 1700

"Now I'll activate the Continuous Spell Card, Fire Formation – Tensu!" The Spell Card materialized and started to spit tiny embers. "This card gives all Beast-Warrior monsters a further 100 ATK."

Phantom Beast Cross-Wing: ATK 1700 → 1800

"But that's not the best bit! Oh no!" Genjū said gleefully. "This card also has one other effect: an effect that lets me perform an extra Normal Summon each turn, as long as the monster I Summon is a Beast-Warrior-Type monster. So let's do exactly that! I Tribute Phantom Beast Cross-Wing..." the golden bird gave a high-pitched warbling shriek and faded from existence, "...to Tribute Summon this! Phantom Beast Rock-Lizard, appear!" The ground beneath them splintered and cracked, and a large rocky thing clambered out of it. Its bodily design was that of a centaur, with four legs and a crimson-skinned humanoid torso with two arms, but its tail was a lizard's tail, and its face had a sharp, fearsome beak. Its entire body was protected by an armour made from green rocks.

Phantom Beast Rock-Lizard: Beast-Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 7/ATK 2200/DEF 2000

"I'll bet you're wondering how I was able to Summon a Level seven monster with a single Tribute…" Genjū grinned.

"No, not really," Dan interrupted. "I'm familiar with Phantom Beasts, so I know that you can Normal Summon Rock-Lizard with one Tribute if that Tribute is a Phantom Beast monster."

"Hmph, whatever," the dwarfish man replied. "Then I'll just explain all the boosts it gets. It gains ATK from the two Cross-Wings in my Graveyard, at 300 each, and from my two Fire Formation Spell Cards, at 100 each. That's a total of 800 extra ATK!"

Phantom Beast Rock-Lizard: ATK 2200 → 3000

"Go, Rock-Lizard! Attack Gungnir!" With a roar, the rocky-crimson-centaur-human-beast-lizard-thing charged at the dragon. Gungnir tried to bite the thing once it came within range, but it leapt to one side, then threw itself forwards, hurling its entire body weight against the dragon's side. Gungnir howled in pain and toppled over. Its icy hide cracked as it struck the ground, and it exploded violently.

**Dan LP:** 3700 → 3200

"Oh, and did I mention Rock-Lizard's other effect?" Genjū said. "Each time it destroys a monster by battle, you take 500 damage!" The Phantom Beast turned around and swung a rock-covered fist at Dan, who quickly brought his duel disk up to defend. The sound of rock striking metal echoed across the park. Dan staggered back under the tremendous weight of the blow.

**Dan LP:** 3200 → 2700

Dan responded as soon as Rock-Lizard had retreated. "I activate the effect of **Polaris Dragon Islingh** in my Graveyard! When a WATER Dragon-Type monster I control is destroyed, I can Special Summon this card from my Graveyard! Reappear, **Polaris Dragon Islingh**!" A purple revival circle opened on the ground, and a pure white dragon climbed out. It was very thin, with its skin stretched tight over its bones, and had two mountain goat-esque horns on its head.

**Polaris Dragon Islingh: Dragon-Type/WATER/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 300**

"Hehehe," the old man chuckled. "Still hanging in there, are you kid? Well, I'll soon fix that. I place one card face-down and end my turn." His set card appeared directly between his two Fire Formation cards.

"Alright, then back to me," Dan said. But before he could draw his card, he was interrupted by his teammates.

"Hay Dan," Katie shouted. "When're you going to Summon your Number?"

"Not yet," Dan replied. "He hasn't Summoned his yet."

Katie looked shocked by this. "But... he... just..." she indicated the bright red number forty on Genjū's chest. "We know he has a Number already, why are you waiting?"

Dan shrugged. "I'm not sure... it's a conscience thing I guess. I just can't use a Number on a person without seeing for certain that they have a Number themselves."

Matt put a hand on Katie's shoulder. "It's ok," he assured her. "This is just your average Number holder. Dan isn't really in any danger of losing."

"Yeah, I suppose..." Katie said. Then she grinned. "Isn't it weird that just a few months ago we were terrified of facing Number holders, and now we're chatting about it like it's no big deal?"

Matt laughed. "Well, times have changed."

"And so have we," Leah added.

In the meantime, Dan had begun his move. "I draw. First I activate the Spell Card, **Gathering of the Polaris**. With this card, by banishing two WATER monsters from my Graveyard, I can add two cards with Polaris in their name from my Deck to my hand." Gungnir, Dragon of the Ice Barrier and Blizzard Dragon both shot out of his Graveyard. "The cards I choose to add to my hand are **Polaris Dragon Fross** and **Polaris Dragon Briar**." His duel disk extracted the cards for him, and he placed them in his hand. "Then I activate the Spell Card, Twin Dragons!"

"Twin Dragons? So what does that do then?" Genjū asked, clearly unimpressed.

"With this card, I can Special Summon a Dragon-Type monster from my hand that has the same Level as a Level four or lower Dragon-Type monster on my field," Dan explained. "Since I control the Level three **Polaris Dragon Islingh**, I can Special Summon the Level three **Polaris Dragon Briar** from my hand!" In a whirl of snow, a new dragon appeared. This one walked on all fours, and was a greenish-blue colour. It also had a very spikey hide, with razor-sharp spikes jutting from its body.

**Polaris Dragon Briar: Dragon-Type/WATER/Level 3/ATK 1200/DEF 1000**

"Then, I'll Tribute **Polaris Dragon Islingh**, to Tribute Summon **Polaris Dragon Fross**!" The white skeletal dragon faded away, to be replaced by a much larger dragon. It was a glorious white colour, and shone with a radiance that none of the previous Polaris Dragons had displayed.

**Polaris Dragon Fross: Dragon-Type/Tuner/WATER/Level 6/ATK 2300/DEF 2200**

"A Level six Tuner!" Genjū gasped. "I thought such a thing only existed among the Blackwing archetype!"

"Well obviously not, because here it is," Dan grinned. "I tune the Level six **Polaris Dragon Fross** to the Level three **Polaris Dragon Briar**!" Fross lit up fully white, before dissipating into six green Synchro rings, which aligned themselves in a tunnel-like formation, surrounding Briar. The dragon faded away, leaving behind three shining stars, which centred themselves within the rings. "Synchro Summon!" A beam of light shot down the line of stars, through the centre of the rings, and struck the ground behind him. "Behold! The continued legacy of the Polaris Dragon Lords! Appear, **Polaris Dragon Lord Skhulvorze**!" A rumbling growl echoed from within the pillar of light, which quickly dissipated to reveal a colossal dragon crouching behind Dan. It was a dark blue colour, and two black horns jutting straight out of its jawline, tapering to points near the snout.

**Polaris Dragon Lord Skhulvorze: Dragon-Type/Synchro/WATER/Level 9/ATK 3150/DEF 2100**

"And the surprises just keep on coming..." Matt muttered. "That thing's enormous."

"Yep," Dan grinned. "But I'll get to him in a minute. First, I'll activate the effect of Polaris Dragon Briar in my Graveyard." A ghostly image of the card appeared behind him. "When this card is sent to the Graveyard, I can add any Polaris card from my Deck to my hand, then send the top card of my Deck to the Graveyard. So I'll add **Polaris Dragon Yve** to my hand." He extracted the card from his Deck, then milled his top card - Twin-Headed Behemoth. "Battle! Skhulvorze, attack Rock-Lizard!" Dan declared. The dragon pulled back its head and took in a great lungful of air.

"Nice try, kiddo," Genjū laughed. "I wasn't worried at all. Since I have this: the Trap Card, Horn of the Phantom Beast!" His previously set Trap activated. "After activation, this card equips to a Beast-Warrior-Type monster I control, and increases its ATK by 800!" An ornate black helmet with large orange horns materialized, and settled neatly on Rock-Lizard's head.

Phantom Beast Rock-Lizard: ATK 3000 → 3800

"Yeah... um... sorry, but that was kind of obvious," Dan said sheepishly. "With all the ATK-increasing you've done during this duel, I knew you'd try it again at some point."

"So what?" Genjū snapped. From the sidelines, Leah struggled not to laugh at him - he reminded her of Grumpy, one of the seven dwarfs.

"So it was kind of easy to prepare a counter," Dan explained. "I activate the Trap Card, Compliance!" One of his two set cards flipped up. "This card activates when the ATK of a monster you control changes during the Battle Phase. Then it applies that change to a monster I control as well. So since your monster just gained 800 ATK, so does my monster." The dragon bahind him was surrounded by a yellow aura.

**Polaris Dragon Lord Skhulvorze: ATK 3150 **→ **3950**

"Skhulvorze, resume your attack!" The dragon's head suddenly snapped back down, and from its jaws shot a ray of frigid energy. It struck Rock-Lizard head on, destroying it before it could make a sound. The helmet fell to the ground and shattered.

**Genjū LP:** 1500 → 1350

* * *

Author-made cards:

Polaris Dragon Fross  
Dragon-Type/Tuner/WATER/Level 6/ATK 2300/DEF 2200  
_The most nocturnal dragon of the Polaris, it prefers the chilling cold of the night to the relative warmth of the day. Its glittering splendour during the night is unmatched among all of the Polaris Dragons._

Polaris Dragon Sona  
Dragon-Type/Tuner/WATER/Level 3/ATK 800/DEF 900  
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by removing 3 Polaris Counters from the field. Once per turn, this card cannot be destroyed by a battle.

Polaris' Frostling  
Dragon-Type/WATER/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 100  
If you control a face-up "Polaris" monster, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). You can Tribute this card you control, then target 1 WATER Dragon-Type monster (except "Polaris' Frostling") in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target, then if that target is an Xyz Monster, attach this card from the Graveyard to that target as an Overlay Unit.

Polaris Dragon Islingh  
Dragon-Type/WATER/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 300  
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by removing 3 Polaris Counters from the field. When a face-up WATER Dragon-Type monster (except "Polaris Dragon Islingh") you control is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, if this card is in the Graveyard: You can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard.

Polaris Dragon Briar  
Dragon-Type/WATER/Level 3/ATK 1200/DEF 1000  
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by removing 3 Polaris Counters from the field. When this card is sent to the Graveyard: Add 1 "Polaris" card (except "Polaris Dragon Briar") from your Deck to your hand, then send the top card of your Deck to the Graveyard. You can only use the effect of "Polaris Dragon Briar" once per turn.

Polaris Dragon Lord Skhulvorze  
Dragon-Type/Synchro/WATER/Level 9/ATK 3150/DEF 2100  
1 WATER Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Dragon-Type monsters  
You can Special Summon this card (from your Graveyard) by removing 9 Polaris Counters from the field. When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: Distribute Polaris Counters among face-up monsters, equal to the destroyed monster's Level in the Graveyard. While your opponent has fewer cards in their hand than the number of Polaris Counters on their field, the effects of all Spell/Trap Cards your opponent controls are negated.

Gathering of the Polaris  
Spell Card  
Banish 2 WATER monsters from your Graveyard; add 2 "Polaris" cards (except "Gathering of the Polaris") from your Deck to your hand. You can only activate 1 "Gathering of the Polaris" per turn.

* * *

**Fun Fact #5: Hurray for triumphant lizard!**

**Fun Fact #6: I think I went kind of overboard with the number of Polaris cards today. Don't worry, most of them are cards you've seen before anyway. The only new ones are Fross and Skhulvorze.**

**Fun Fact #7: So far, we haven't made any author-made Phantom Beast cards of our own yet. We had planned to keep it that way, but if enough of you want to see our attempt at an author-made Phantom Beast, we'd be more than happy to oblige.**

**Fun Fact #8: Constellar Sombres is an absolute star! Every pun intended.**

**Fun Fact #9: We haven't bolded Twin Dragons or Compliance, because they are both already-existing cards. Twin Dragons was used by Chazz on the first turn of his duel against Zane in the GX Manga. Compliance was used by Breo during his duel against Yusei in the 5Ds Anime. Yes, we are aware that Compliance's name was changed to Flattery in the dub. Yes, we are ignoring it.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Genjū LP:** 1350

Spell & Trap Card Zone: Fire Formation – Tenki, Fire Formation – Tensu

**Dan LP: **2700

**Polaris Dragon Lord Skhulvorze: Dragon-Type/Synchro/WATER/Level 9/ATK 3950/DEF 2100**

Spell & Trap Card Zone: 1 set card

Genjū had been knocked clean onto his back by the force of the attack, and was now struggling into a sitting position, complaining about his back and the duel and Dan and the weather and everything else.

In the middle of his rambling, Dan interrupted. "If you're ok, then I'd like to keep this duel going. I activate Skhulvorze's effect!" The dragon's entire body lit up. "When it destroys a monster by battle, I can distribute Polaris Counters among face-up monsters, equal to the Level of the destroyed monster. Rock-Lizard was Level seven, so I'll place seven Polaris Counters onto Skhulvorze." Seven orbs of light shot from the dragon's body, only to wheel around in mid-air and reattach themselves to the dragon's scaly hide. Once fixed, they congealed into junks of ice.

**Polaris Dragon Lord Skhulvorze: 0 **→** 7 Polaris Counters  
**

"Oh, and at the end of the Battle Phase, Compliance's effect wears off," Dan added.

**Polaris Dragon Lord Skhulvorze: ATK 3950 **→** 3150**

"With that, I'll place one card face-down and end my turn," he declared. His second set card materialized beside the first.

By this time Genjū had finally stopped complaining, and was getting serious again. "Then it's my turn, I draw!" The moment he laid eyes on his drawn card, he gave a little jump for joy. "Brilliant! I Normal Summon Phantom Beast Thunder-Pegasus!" With the sound of crashing thunder, the beast appeared. It was a winged horse with two heads, and wings made entirely out of crackling electricity. One side of its body was tinted red, while the other was black.

Phantom Beast Thunder-Pegasus: Beast-Warrior-Type/LIGHT/Level 4/ATK 700/DEF 2000

Phantom Beast Thunder-Pegasus: ATK 700 → 1500

"Next I'll use the effect of Fire Formation – Tensu!" he declared. "Once per turn, I can gain an additional Normal Summon, as long as it's for a Beast-Warrior-Type monster. So this time, I Normal Summon Coach Captain Bearman!" A patch of ground splintered and tore itself apart, and from out of it leapt a brown grizzly bear. It had armour covering its legs, arms and torso, and was wearing ridiculous red glasses.

Coach Captain Bearman: Beast-Warrior-Type/FIRE/Level 8/ATK 2600/DEF 2700

"Bearman is an interesting card," Genjū explained. "It can be Normal Summoned from my hand without Tributing, but if I do, then its original ATK drops to 1300."

Coach Captain Bearman: ATK 2600 → 1300

Coach Captain Bearman: ATK 1300 → 1500

"So it's a lot like Beast King Barbaros?" Dan queried.

"Precisely," Genjū grunted. "I'm surprised a kid your age has heard of it... kids these days, no appreciation for the classics."

"...he says to the kid using Synchro Monsters, which are practically ancient now," Dan grinned.

"Shut it!" Genjū snapped. "I activate the Spell Card, Bear's Boot Camp!" The Spell materialized onto his field. "With this card, if I control a face-up Bearman, I can Special Summon one Level four Beast-Warrior-Type monster from my Deck. Appear, Phantom Beast Cross-Wing!" The third copy of the golden bird monster appeared.

Phantom Beast Cross-Wing: Beast-Warrior-Type/LIGHT/Level 4/ATK 1300/DEF 1300

Phantom Beast Cross-Wing: ATK 1300 → 2100

"And now, I'll activate another copy of Bear's Boot Camp, to Summon another Beast-Warrior! Appear, Phantom Beast Wild-Horn!" A second copy of the minotaur-like creature appeared.

Phantom Beast Wild-Horn: Beast-Warrior-Type/EARTH/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 0

Phantom Beast Wild-Horn: ATK 1700 → 2500

"Here's where things get really good kiddo!" Genjū shouted gleefully, dancing around like a drunken dwarf. "I activate the effect of Coach Captain Bearman! Once per turn, I can change the Levels of all Level four Beast-Warrior-Type monsters I control to eight." Bearman began to stretch and dance along to a tune that came out of nowhere. Slowly, the pegasus, bird, and minotaur all began to dance along, which certainly made for an interesting sight.

Phantom Beast Thunder-Pegasus: Level 4 → 8

Phantom Beast Cross-Wing: Level 4 → 8

Phantom Beast Wild-Horn: Level 4 → 8

Katie had a weird look on her face; she was looking engrossed and weirded-out all at the same time. Leah nudged her. "Hey, snap out of it. We have a big problem here."

"What's th-" Katie began to ask, before it hit her. "Four Level eight monsters? You must be joking!"

"This is bad..." Dan muttered. "Four Level eights..."

"Looks like you've realised, kiddo," Genjū shouted. "Don't be so panicky though; I'm only going to use three of them."

"Oh good, I was starting to get worried there," Dan said sarcastically.

Genjū ignored him. "Let's go! Level eight Thunder-Pegasus, Cross-Wing, and Wild-Horn, Overlay!" The three monsters morphed into amorphous masses of light (two yellow and one orange) and flew into the sky. Bearman watched them fly up, then yelped with fright and leapt out of the way of the galaxy-shaped portal that opened beside him. "I use these three Beast-Warrior-Type monsters to construct the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon!" The three monsters soared into the swirling portal one after the other. A pillar of fire erupted from within. "Arise! **Number 40: Trailblazing Hunter Brutsar**!"

The red number forty on his chest blazed brighter than ever. A sudden howl of fury echoed across the field, emanating from within the flames. The pillar of fire was suddenly dispelled, revealing a giant creature standing in the embers. Its body resembled a large wolf, but it was standing on its hind legs, and had hands rather than paws, which allowed it to hold a vicious-looking axe. It's most prominent features were its arms and legs, which were on fire. They literally had flames running along their entire lengths. Three red Overlay Units circled the creature, making the flames bend and flicker each time they passed.

**Number 40: Trailblazing Hunter Brutsar: Beast-Warrior-Type/Xyz/FIRE/Rank 8/ATK 3000/DEF 2800 – 3 OLU**

"So there it is..." Dan said, staring at it. "In all honesty, it really isn't that impressive. When it comes to Numbers, I've seen angels that wipe out entire fields and grow stronger with each kill, I've seen giant electronic beasts made of Xyz Monsters, I've seen hideous dragons that hide their true power behind their Overlay Units, I've seen Numbers that can evolve themselves into new forms, and I've seen cyclops' so cruel that they'll attack spectators. Compared to what I've seen – what all of us have seen – this one's kind of underwhelming."

"Hmph, whatever," Genjū muttered. "You'll soon be plenty overwhelmed, I promise you that! First of all, the effects of my Fire Formation cards provide Brutsar with 200 extra ATK."

**Number 40: Trailblazing Hunter Brutsar: ATK 3000 **→** 3200**

"Then I'll activate the Spell Card, Advance Draw. So by Tributing a Level eight or higher monster on my field, I can draw two cards!" Bearman dissipated, and Genjū drew his cards. "Even better! Battle time! Brutsar, attack **Polaris Dragon Lord Skhulvorze**!" The werewolf-esque creature howled at the sky, the flames on its body blazing like bonfires. But then, Genjū played another card. "Oh, and I'll activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, Ego Boost! When a monster declares an attack, this card increases the ATK of any monster on the field by 1000. I'll give that boost to Brutsar!"

**Number 40: Trailblazing Hunter Brutsar: ATK 3200 **→** 4200**

Without warning, the creature charged forward with blinding speed, and slashed at the dragon's neck with its axe. Skhulvorze roared in agony before exploding. Brutsar ducked under the explosion and, with merciless precision, darted forwards and slammed the hilt of its weapon into Dan's chest. He collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

**Dan LP:** 2700 → 1650

With great effort, Dan reached down to his duel disk. "I activate the effect of **Polaris Dragon Islingh** in my Graveyard," he rasped. "When a WATER Dragon-Type monster on my field is destroyed, this card revives itself." Sure enough, the skeletal white dragon reappeared, shaking snowdust off its head.

**Polaris Dragon Islingh: Dragon-Type/WATER/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 300**

"Hahaha! And now comes the best bit!" Genjū shouted jubilantly. "Trailblazing Hunter Brutsar's effect activates! When it destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, by detaching one of its Overlay Units, I can revive as many Beast-Warrior-Type monsters as possible from my Graveyard, but they all appear in Defence Position." One of the red orbs broke orbit and was absorbed into the giant werewolf's axe.

**Number 40: Trailblazing Hunter Brutsar: 3 **→** 2 OLU**

"Be reborn! Coach Captain Bearman, Phantom Beast Wild-Horn, and two Phantom Beast Cross-Wings!" All four monsters materialized in the same moment, all of them giving off different howls and shrieks that melded into a cacophony of noise.

Coach Captain Bearman: Beast-Warrior-Type/FIRE/Level 8/ATK 2600/DEF 2700

Phantom Beast Wild-Horn: Beast-Warrior-Type/EARTH/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 0

Phantom Beast Cross-Wing: Beast-Warrior-Type/LIGHT/Level 4/ATK 1300/DEF 1300

Phantom Beast Cross-Wing: Beast-Warrior-Type/LIGHT/Level 4/ATK 1300/DEF 1300

"First of all, let's deal with their boosts," Genjū said. "They all gain 200 ATK from my Fire Formation cards, and everyone except Bearman gains 300 ATK from the Cross-Wing that I just detached from Brutsar."

Coach Captain Bearman: ATK 2600 → 2800

Phantom Beast Wild-Horn: ATK 1700 → 2200

Phantom Beast Cross-Wing: ATK 1300 → 1800

Phantom Beast Cross-Wing: ATK 1300 → 1800

Dan sighed as he stood up. "Always with the ATK boosting. I don't even see why you're bothering; they're all in Defence Position."

"That makes no difference!" Genjū snapped. "Ok, since my Battle Phase is over, the effect of Ego Boost wears off, returning my monster's ATK to normal."

**Number 40: Trailblazing Hunter Brutsar: ATK 4200 **→** 3200**

"Now I'll activate the effect of Coach Captain Bearman!" he said. "You remember this effect, don't you? It changes all Level four Beast-Warriors to Level eight." Once again the music played, and Genjū's four monsters began dancing along. Brutsar just stared down at them with a look of contempt.

Phantom Beast Wild-Horn: Level 4 → 8

Phantom Beast Cross-Wing: Level 4 → 8

Phantom Beast Cross-Wing: Level 4 → 8

"And now, Level four Wild-Horn and both Cross-Wings, Overlay!" The three Phantom Beasts fully orange and yellow respectively, before shooting up into the air. Once again, Bearman was forced to dodge the portal that opened up right beside it, this time a red one. "I use these three monsters to construct the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon!" The two monsters sailed into the portal, which exploded. "Appear, Coach King Giantrainer!" A giant warrior, as big as the Number, appeared on Genjū's field. It was dressed in baseball gear, and carried a baseball bat in each hand, with yet more equipment strapped to its back. Three red Overlay Units circled it.

Coach King Giantrainer: Warrior-Type/Xyz/FIRE/Rank 8/ATK 2800/DEF 2000 – 3 OLU

"This is ridiculous," Matt gasped. "Two Xyz Summons in a turn? And both of them requiring three Level eight Xyz Material Monsters?"

"Maybe this guy's more skilled than we gave him credit for," Leah answered.

"Now, time to play a game of chance!" Genjū whooped. "Giantrainer's effect activates! Up to three times per turn, I can detach one of its Overlay Units to force both players to draw one card. Then, we reveal them and compare their Levels, with Spell and Trap Cards being treated as Level zero. The player who reveals the card with the lower Level takes 800 damage."

"Ok, this is really bad..." Dan muttered. "Most Phantom Beast cards are Level four or higher, while most of my Polaris Dragons are Level three."

"Yep, I worked that out early in the duel," Genjū grinned. "I was just waiting for the perfect opportunity to bring out Giantrainer to end the duel!" As he spoke, Giantrainer absorbed one of its Overlay Units into its bat.

Coach King Giantrainer: 3 → 2 OLU

Both players drew their card. Genjū's eyes widened with joy the moment he laid eyes on his card. "Wonderful! I drew Beast King Barbaros!"

Dan looked forlornly at his own card, then revealed it: Masked Dragon.

Beast King Barbaros: Level 8

Masked Dragon: Level 3

"HA! My monster's Level is higher, so you take 800 damage!" Giantrainer pointed its bat at Dan and fired a beam of energy straight into him, causing him to stagger back.

**Dan LP:** 1650 → 850

"This is like an extreme version of rock-paper-scissors," Matt observed.

"If that simile works for you, then fine," Genjū grunted. "Unfortunately, this time there will be no triumphant lizard for your friend! I activate Giantrainer's effect again!" The warrior absorbed a second Overlay Unit.

Coach King Giantrainer: 2 → 1 OLU

Dan drew his card, and groaned the moment he looked at it. "Troop Dragon?" he muttered. "Level two... that won't do me any good here..."

But as he looked up at Genjū, he noticed the old man's eyes were wide with shock. "A... a... a Spell Card...?" he turned the card around. It was exactly as he said: the Spell Card, Shift-Up.

Shift-Up: Level 0

Troop Dragon: Level 2

Giantrainer swung its arm around to point at its owner, and fired. The beam of energy knocked him onto his back.

**Genjū LP:** 1350 → 550

"Ah," Dan grinned. "Well, that changes things. Go on then. Go on. Activate the effect again. Go on. You still have one Overlay Unit left. Use it."

Genjū struggled to his feet, glaring at the kid taunting him.

"Except," Dan continued. "I have nothing to lose now. Even if I lose this final game of chance, the damage still won't be enough to defeat me. But if you lose, then it's game over for you. So go on. Do it."

The short man stared at his monster for another few seconds, his eyes tracing the line of its last Overlay Unit, his right hand involuntarily twitching as he tried to make a decision, whether to use that last Overlay Unit or not. Finally, he let out a deep sigh. "I end my turn."

Dan nodded. "I thought you might. My turn, draw." A quick glance at his drawn card confirmed his suspicions. "Yep, a Spell Card. If you had used Giantrainer's effect, I probably would've had the lower Levelled card."

"Hmph, whatever," Genjū grunted.

"Alright, first I activate the Spell Card, Dragon's Olfaction!" The Spell Card appeared. "If you control at least two monsters, this card lets me Special Summon any Dragon-Type monster from my hand. Come on out, Snowdust Dragon!" A whirlwind of snow rose up behind Dan, before giving way to a new dragon. It was serpentine body a glittering blue colour, and had thorn-like protrusions running along its whole length.

Snowdust Dragon: Dragon-Type/WATER/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 1800

"Ooh," Leah breathed.

"What?" Matt asked.

"That's a new card," Leah said. "He must've added it to his Deck recently."

"Now I activate my Trap card," Dan called, and one of his face-downs activated in response. "Burst Breath! So by Tributing a Dragon-Type monster I control, all monsters on the field with equal or less DEF than its ATK are destroyed."

"Hang on," Genjū gasped. "That's every monster!"

"Right in one," Dan grinned. "I Tribute Snowdust Dragon!" The icy dragon pulled its head back, then launched a stream of fiery breath onto the field. The yellow flames surrounded all four monsters on the field – Giantrainer, Brutsar, Bearman, and Islingh. The explosion was colossal, and the smoke from it covered the whole field.

Genjū shouted through the haze. "That's fine, because you have no monsters left either! And your hand is-" he stopped as the smoke began to clear, and he caught a glimpse of Dan's field. He couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. There was something still on Dan's field. He rubbed his eyes and looked again.

It was **Polaris Dragon Islingh**. Still sitting there. Perched on Dan's field like a giant skeletal snow bird, licking its flank as though nothing had happened.

"What?! I... how?!" Genjū spluttered. "That thing only has 300 DEF! Burst Breath should've annihilated it!"

"Well... yeah," Dan grinned. "But it's like I said earlier: most of my Polaris Dragons are Level three monsters."

"So?"

"They're also WATER Attribute monsters," Dan added. "Which makes most of the cards in my Deck prime candidates for using this card." He indicated the second Trap Card on his field, which Genjū hadn't noticed being activated. "Aegis of the Ocean Dragon Lord." Dan announced. "I activated this card in chain to Burst Breath. And during the turn that this card is activated, face-up Level three or lower WATER monsters I control cannot be destroyed, either by battle or by card effects."

"W- wait!" the old man gasped. "But that means-"

"Yep," Dan grinned. "A bit sneaky, but who's counting? Battle! **Polaris Dragon Islingh**, direct attack!" The dragon stretched its jaws open, and fired a hailstorm of needle-like icicles at Genjū. The old man covered his face, and was knocked back.

**Genjū LP:** 550 → 0

**Dan LP:** 850 [WINNER]

"Good old triumphant lizard," Dan grinned. "Well done Islingh."

The thin dragon snapped its jaws with finality, looking quite proud of its accomplishment. The final buzzer sounded, and the augmented reality faded away. With swift, well-practised movements, Dan reached out his right arm and sent the tendrils of light from his band into his downed opponent. They were only there for a few brief seconds, then they retracted, carrying Number 40 with them, which they deposited in his hand. Leah ran over the moment he'd finished and gave him a high five.

"Well," Matt said, as he and Katie walked over to join them. "That was anti-climactic."

"Yeah," Katie agreed. "Couldn't you have made it a bit more exciting? Like Summoning your Number or something?"

Dan scratched his head. "Yeah, I suppose I could've... I just didn't feel like it, you know? This opponent, he just didn't give me that sense of urgency."

"I know what you mean," Matt said. "Compared to the Number duelists we've fought before, I'd go as far as to say that one was… well… easy."

"Be careful, that smugness will be the death of you."

"Yeah, I guess," Matt smiled. Suddenly, he stiffened. All was silent; none of them dared move. Matt looked at Katie. "You didn't say that, did you?"

"No..." she replied. "But if I didn't..."

Then Matt looked at Dan and Leah. "And you two didn't...?" They both shook their heads, their eyes wide with apprehension. Slowly, carefully, they all turned to face the direction of the park entrance.

And there he was.

Standing no more than three feet away from them, with menace in his eyes, was Skyler. His lips were stretched in a cruel smirk. "Or who knows?" he said. "Maybe it won't be smugness that kills you. Maybe it'll be me."

* * *

Author-made cards:

Polaris Dragon Islingh  
Dragon-Type/WATER/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 300  
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by removing 3 Polaris Counters from the field. When a face-up WATER Dragon-Type monster (except "Polaris Dragon Islingh") you control is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, if this card is in the Graveyard: You can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard.

Polaris Dragon Lord Skhulvorze  
Dragon-Type/Synchro/WATER/Level 9/ATK 3150/DEF 2100  
1 WATER Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Dragon-Type monsters  
You can Special Summon this card (from your Graveyard) by removing 9 Polaris Counters from the field. When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: Distribute Polaris Counters among face-up monsters, equal to the destroyed monster's Level in the Graveyard. While your opponent has fewer cards in their hand than the number of Polaris Counters on their field, the effects of all Spell/Trap Cards your opponent controls are negated.

Number 40: Trailblazing Hunter Brutsar  
Beast-Warrior-Type/Xyz/FIRE/Level 8/ATK 3000/DEF 2800  
3 Level 8 Beast-Warrior-Type monsters  
This card cannot be destroyed by battle, except by a "Number" monster. When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: You can detach 1 Overlay Unit from this card; Special Summon as many Beast-Warrior-Type monsters as possible from your Graveyard in face-up Defence Position.

* * *

**Fun Fact #10: All shall kneel before the triumphant lizard!**

**Fun Fact #11: As some of you may have noticed, we used Bearman's OCG effect, but Giantrainer's Anime effect, which is inconsistent, I know. But the Anime effect of Giantrainer was far cooler, and thematically fitted the rock-paper-scissors theme of the story.**

**Fun Fact #12: As some of you may have also noticed, we have altered the structure of our author-made cards slightly. We're now putting the stats for the author-made cards in every chapter in which they appear. This means that you no longer have to sift back through chapters to remember what an author-made card does. Anything to make reading easier.**

**Fun Fact #13: Number 40's name is derived from a mashup of the word 'brute' and the word 'tsar', which means ruler. 'Tsar' is actually an alternate (and more common) spelling of 'czar', which the TCG used for the Evolzar monsters.**


	4. Chapter 4

Leah gave a small 'eek' of terror, and quickly backed away. Matt stood firmly where he was, staring Skyler down. But Katie's reaction was the most dramatic. With a furious cry, she leapt at Skyler. The enemy hunter quickly lifted his robotic arm to defend, but he needn't have worried – Katie was suddenly grabbed around the waist by Dan, and pulled away.

"Leave it," Dan said, struggling to keep a hold of her. "You'll just get yourself hurt!"

"Let me go!" she screamed, thrashing about as Leah came in to help restrain her. "I'll kill him! He hurt all those innocent people! They'll never be normal again! And it's his fault! AND HE DOESN'T CARE!"

"Katie, stop," Leah insisted. "That won't solve anything. You need to calm down."

"I'd listen to your teammates if I were you," Skyler said, watching the scene with mild amusement. "Behaviour like that can cause you a lot of pain very quickly."

"No!" she snarled, struggling to break free. "I won't let him get away with this! He has to pay!"

"Katie, stop it," Matt snapped without turning round. "You should be able to control your temper better than most, especially after that incident with Keane and Esta. The way you're behaving right now is exactly the way Keane behaved after you injured his little sister. Don't give in to your anger and lust for revenge like he did. Don't become him!"

Katie froze. The weight of those words fell on her like hammer blows. She crumpled to the ground, sobbing her heart out as the memories of that day flooded back. Leah tried her best to comfort her, but to no avail.

Dan stood up and walked over to stand next to Matt. "Was that really necessary?" he muttered.

"Yes," Matt replied bluntly. "Feelings will heal, but injuries inflicted by this guy won't. Trust me, it's better this way."

Skyler was smirking at the entire thing. "Well, it seems that there's a fascinating story behind all that," he said, indicating Katie. "At any other time I might ask you to tell me about it, but right now I have my objectives to complete. So, number one..." he looked Matt straight in the eye, "...you've visited the Kasen World, haven't you?"

Matt and Dan stiffened. "How did you know that?" Matt asked.

"I have my methods," Skyler replied cryptically. "So, did you enjoy your little trip? Did you like what you saw in the Kasen World? Did you meet a lot of interesting people? Was it all cosy and happy and lovely?"

"Well..." Dan said, remembering the turbulent ride that had taken them out of the world, the deep-seated unease at being so far from home, the colossal clash of souls in Leah and Katie's duel, and the mad dash to escape. "...I wouldn't exactly call it cosy…"

"And what of the Professor?" Skyler asked impatiently. "What did he tell you about the Kasen World and the Astral World? Come on, spill it. What did he tell you?"

"Hang on... for all we know, you're just fishing for information," Matt replied. "Why should we tell you anything?"

Skyler glared at him for a moment, then took a deep breath to calm himself. "Because I believe you've been lied to."

Matt stared back for a long while, struggling internally with himself. On the one hand, Skyler clearly had knowledge beyond there's. On the other hand, he was their sworn enemy, and had ruined the lives of many innocent people in the name of denying them the Numbers. He just couldn't decide.

Finally, Dan spoke for him. "Professor Usur told us that the Astral World is evil, and that we have to form an alliance with the Kasen World in order to-"

"I knew it!" Skyler exclaimed triumphantly. "That lying old cretin! He's got you lapping up every word he says, hasn't he? He has you believing that every word he says is the truth."

"And you think he's lying?" Leah asked. She had finally calmed Katie down, and had come over to join the discussion.

"I know he's lying," Skyler replied.

"Then what is the truth?" Dan asked. "Tell us the truth if you know so much."

"It would be my pleasure, you clueless Delta," Skyler said. He took another deep breath, then went on. "The Professor is lying. The people of the Astral World are not evil, nor are they your enemies. They are powerful – that much is true – but they would never even think of attacking other worlds. That just isn't their nature."

"How powerful are they?" Matt asked.

"Hmm, how should I describe it...?" Skyler muttered. "You're familiar with the power of the Numbers, right? Well, the Numbers are all pieces of a single being from the Astral World."

The Deltas gasped in shock. They were all thinking the same thing: if a single Number was so powerful, just how strong was the original entity? They were all beginning to feel very small again.

"So..." Dan said, breaking the silence. "...the Numbers... does that mean that they...?"

"Yes," Skyler replied. "The Numbers come from the Astral World."

Matt's thoughts went back to the day that they'd asked the Professor where the Numbers came from. But he had merely replied: _"I'm afraid that you're not ready for that information. Not yet. Know this, however. The place that the Numbers came from is pure evil, and as such, the Numbers themselves are pure evil." _Defiantly, he rounded on Skyler. "Everything you've just said goes against what the Professor said. Why should we believe you?"

Skyler glared at him. "Look, if you want to side with your precious Professor, I won't stop you. Unfortunately, this means that you all remain my enemies. My mission is to stop the Professor, and if you choose to get in my way, then I'll show you no mercy."

"Likewise," Matt replied calmly. "Now then, it's pretty clear that you're here for a duel, so can we get on with it?"

"In a minute," Skyler said. "First, I want to know one more thing." He looked at each of the others in turn. "Suppose I'm right. Suppose, just for the sake of argument, that everything I told you is the truth. If that's the case, and the people of the Astral World aren't the evil ones, who do you think the evil ones are?"

"The people of the Kasen World, I'd assume," Leah guessed.

Skyler snorted with amusement. "Well, you're partly right. The Kasen World does have its fair share of evil doers, but that's not what I'm talking about." He spread his arms wide. "It's us. The people of this world. The monsters are right here, in the Barian World! Hidden in plain sight!"

That did it. Matt took a step forward. "Alright, that's enough out of you! Since the moment you got here, you've done nothing but spout utter nonsense to try and bring us around to your way of thinking. But guess what... we're not buying it. You're just talking a whole bunch of lies that contradicts everything we've learnt."

"The proof you need is right in front of you!" Skyler shouted back in frustration. "Numbers amplify emotions and desires. So how come everytime a human gets a hold of one, bad things happen?"

"That's not the fault of the people!" Matt insisted. "That's the Numbers being selective about what they amplify! They only amplify the bad emotions, and that's made you think that all humans are inherently evil!"

Skyler let out a deep sigh and lowered his arms. "Fine, fine... it seems reason is beyond you. Looks like I'll have to resort of force after all. I suppose I can spare some time to duel." Matt started to prepare his equipment, but Skyler held up a hand to stop him. "But not with you."

"Excuse me?" Matt growled, his hand on his duel disk.

"I didn't come to duel you," Skyler replied. "Your Numbers are weak; they're not what I'm after." With a feeling of authority, he pointed at Dan and Leah. "I'm challenging one of you."

"Us? Why?" Leah asked, though she thought she already knew the answer.

"Because you are in possession of Number 93," Skyler replied, before turning his gaze on Dan. "And you are in possession of Number 40. Those aren't really strong Numbers, but they're a lot stronger than anything you two have." He indicated Katie and Matt, the latter of whom glowered at him. "So, decide amongst yourselves who wants to duel me. I honestly don't care, so long as you decide quickly."

Dan and Leah turned to face each other. The moment they made eye contact, they both knew exactly who was going to be dueling.

"You don't want to duel him, do you?" Dan asked.

Leah shook her head, looking sad and ashamed. "No."

Matt was surprised by her uncharacteristic timidness. "What? Why?"

She turned to face him. "I'm sorry, Matt. It's just... we've been through a lot in the past few days, and it's really starting to get to me. After that duel with Katie in the other world, I just... I just don't think I can deal with this right now. Not today."

Dan laughed, startling the pair of them. "Hey, there's nothing to be ashamed of. This is a serious duel. People could end up getting hurt. If you're not feeling on top of your game, it's better that you sit out for a while."

"Then maybe you should let me duel," Matt replied. "You've just dueled, so you're bound to be tired. I can borrow your Number for the duel so Skyler has an incentive to duel me. That'll let both of you get some res-"

"No," Dan interrupted. Matt looked at him more closely; there was a glint in his eyes that hadn't been there earlier. "That's the other thing. I'm not just doing this because Leah's not feeling well." He grinned. "I _want_ to duel him." He turned to look at his team's leader. "Think about it, Matt. This is my chance for a rematch with one of the strongest duelists we've ever faced. How can I possibly back down?"

Matt stared at him for a good few seconds, struggling to think of an excuse to say no. Finally he sighed. "Just be careful," he said, and backed away towards Katie.

Dan nodded, and was about to step forward, when Leah grabbed his hand. He felt her press something into his palm, and even without looking, he knew immediately what it was. "Good luck," she grinned. "Have fun. And don't you dare get hurt, or I'll be extremely cross."

He laughed. "No promises, but I'll definitely try." At that moment, something wrapped around his left wrist and tugged him away from Leah. Turning around, he saw Skyler's duel anchor fixed onto his left arm. "Ah, I see you've mended it."

"Indeed," Skyler said. He was trying to be serious, but he couldn't stop the savage grin spreading across his face. "How very interesting. A rematch with one of the few duelists who ever defeated me. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to this."

"Then let's not waste any more time," Dan replied.

"Duel disk, set!" Both players readied their duel disks – Dan's was an ice blue standard issue model, while Skyler's was a dull grey that sharply contrasted with the shiny metal of his robotic right hand. "D-Gazer, set!" The augmented reality rose up around them. Leading Katie with them, Leah and Matt retreated to a safe distance.

Before they started, Dan called across the field. "Same deal as before! I know you have the ability to stop our bands from extracting your Numbers, but if you lose, I want you to guarantee that you'll give up your Numbers. No funny business."

"I kept my word last time, I shall do so again, Skyler replied. "It just so happens that I have a total of six Numbers with me. Will that satisfy you, Delta?"

Dan grinned. "That'll do me just nicely."

Skyler nodded. "Then no more waiting. Let us begin."

"DUEL!"

**Skyler LP:** 4000

**Dan LP:** 4000

"The first move will go to me," Skyler declared. "I draw. For my first move, I Special Summon Solar Wind Jammer!" A purple spearheaded space ship appeared, with two clumps of solar panels sticking out from either side like sails.

Solar Wind Jammer: Machine-Type/LIGHT/Level 5/ATK 800/DEF 2400

"Solar Wind Jammer can be Special Summoned from my hand if I control no monsters," Skyler explained. "But if I use this effect to Summon it, then its ATK and DEF will be reduced by half."

Solar Wind Jammer: ATK 800 → 400/DEF 2400 → 1200

"Then, I Normal Summon Dark Catapulter." A new, vaguely dragonic creature appeared, with a large charging station on its back that could be used to fire energy projectiles.

Dark Catapulter: Machine-Type/EARTH/Level 4/ATK 1000/DEF 1500

"Now I banish Dark Catapulter, to Special Summon this card from my hand!" The Summoned monster dissipated almost instantly. "Appear, **Cosmic Corruptor LV3**!" With a flash of light and a crackling sound, Dark Catapulter reformed... except its appearance had changed drastically. It was now a much darker, deeper shade of blue, with black electricity lancing across its body.

**Cosmic Corruptor LV3: Machine-Type/DARK/Level 3/ATK 700/DEF 0**

"Hang on, I remember that card," Dan gasped.

"No you don't," Skyler retorted. "You remember the LV1 version of this card from our previous duel. Regardless, their effects are similar. I can Special Summon this card from my hand by banishing a Machine-Type monster from my field, and if I do, then its Level is increased by the Level of the banished monster."

**Cosmic Corruptor LV3: Level 3 **→** 7**

"Now I'll give a similar treatment to my other monster," Skyler declared, holding up yet another monster from his hand. "I banish Solar Wind Jammer, to Special Summon **Cosmic Corruptor LV2**!" The spaceship dissipated, only to reform a second later with much the same colour scheme as Catapulter, and with the same black electricity crackling across its body.

**Cosmic Corruptor LV2: Machine-Type/DARK/Level 2/ATK 400/DEF 0**

"And like my previous Cosmic Corruptor, this one gains the Levels of the monster I banished to Summon it," Skyler explained.

**Cosmic Corruptor LV2: Level 2 **→** 7**

"I'm sure you can guess what's coming now, young Delta," Skyler said, raising his robotic arm into the air. "Level seven **Cosmic Corruptor LV3** and **Cosmic Corruptor LV2**, Overlay!" The two infected monsters turned fully purple, then shot upwards, away from the galaxy-shaped portal that opened beneath them. "I use these two monsters to construct the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon!" The two monsters spiralled into the portal, which erupted with light.

And with the explosion of the portal came a huge boom, the likes of which they'd never heard. The very earth shook with the force of the sound. The four kids covered their ears and screamed in pain… a scream that none of them could hear. It felt like someone was driving nails deep into their ears.

And through it all came Skyler's voice, cutting through the commotion like a knife. "Come forth! **Number 25: Sonicboom Dragon**!"

* * *

Author-made cards:

Cosmic Corruptor LV3  
Machine-Type/DARK/Level 3/ATK 700/DEF 0  
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by banishing 1 face-up Machine-Type monster you control. When you do: Increase this card's Level by the original Level of the banished monster.

Cosmic Corruptor LV2  
Machine-Type/DARK/Level 2/ATK 400/DEF 0  
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by banishing 1 face-up Machine-Type monster you control. When you do: Increase this card's Level by the original Level of the banished monster.

* * *

**Fun Fact #14: Rematch anyone?**

**Fun Fact #15: For those of you who were asking if Numbers that appeared in the filler stories would appear in the canon, there's you answer. For those of you who have been skipping most of the filler, Number 25: Sonicboom Dragon originally featured in Chapter 8 of the Filler Collection, where Skyler used it to capture Number 39: Ignite-Mare. And for those of you who think we're going to put its stats in this chapter... I'm not sure what to tell you.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Skyler LP:** 4000

**Dan LP:** 4000

"Come forth! **Number 25: Sonicboom Dragon**!"

An orange light blazed trails across Skyler's non-robotic hand, spelling out the glowing number twenty-five. From out of the portal shot a giant green object, folded down into the shape of a cone. It soared high above the duel, then straight down, then across the field, then up again… it was too fast to keep track of. With another sonic-boom that made the spectators cry out in agony and clutch their ears again, the cone-like construct began to shed parts of its body – or rather, they were being stripped away by the sheer speed of the creature. Piece by piece, a figure began to take shape – a scaly turquoise body, a solid half-ring of scales jutting out of its neck, vicious-looking claws attached to the central vane of its two wings… those wings themselves were magnificent. They were green and bat-like, and seemed to be emitting a stream of green energy, which was propelling the dragon through the air like a pair of jets. With perfectly controlled movements, the dragon wheeled around in the air and soared down to settle behind its owner, its two bright green Overlay Units barely managing to keep up.

**Number 25: Sonicboom Dragon: Dragon-Type/Xyz/WIND/Rank 7/ATK 2400/DEF 1700 – 2 OLU**

Dan was struggling to regain control of his senses after the pounding his eardrums had just received, so it was a good few seconds before he'd taken everything in. "Well, it's impressive, I'll give you that. Pretty scary too, but I've definitely seen worse..." he muttered, massaging his aching head.

"Give it time," Skyler replied. "I place one card face-down and end my turn." His set card appeared in front of him.

Dan shook his head in an effort to clear it. "Gah... ugh, this is horrible. Now I have the worst headache ever..."

"Oh stop being such a baby!" Leah shouted. Beside her, both Matt and Katie clutched their ears and moaned in pain. "Oops... um... sorry guys," she said apologetically.

"Please... please don't do that again," Matt groaned.

Katie rubbed the side of her face. "Ok, that settles it. This Number is by far the most annoying Number we've ever come across."

"Agreed," Matt muttered. "And it hasn't even done anything yet..."

"My turn, draw!" Apparently unperturbed by this, Dan had begun his move. "First, I activate the Continuous Spell Card, Water Hazard." The Spell materialized on his field. "With this card, once per turn, if I control no monsters, I can Special Summon one Level four or lower WATER monster from my hand. And since I currently control no monsters, I think I'll use the effect right now!" The Spell Card lit up. "Appear, **Polaris Dragon Islingh**!" The small, white, skeletal dragon from his last duel appeared.

**Polaris Dragon Islingh: Dragon-Type/WATER/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 300**

"Then I'll Tribute **Polaris Dragon Islingh** to Tribute Summon **Polaris Dragon Fross**!" As quickly as it had appeared, the dragon dissipated, only to be replaced by the lustrous white dragon that was also seen previously.

**Polaris Dragon Fross: Dragon-Type/Tuner/WATER/Level 6/ATK 2300/DEF 2200**

"Yeah yeah, I saw that in your last duel," Skyler said impatiently. "It's shiny and all, but it's weaker than my Number. So why Summon it?"

"To act as a store of Polaris Counters," Dan explained. "I activate the Spell Card, **Conviction of the Polaris**." The Spell appeared next to Water Hazard. "With this, I target one Polaris monster I control, and then apply two effects, one after the other. First, I place Polaris Counters on it equal to its Level." Six ball of light shot out of the card and attached themselves to the dragon's body, congealing as lumps of ice.

**Polaris Dragon Fross: 0 **→** 6 Polaris Counters  
**

"Then, as a little extra bonus, it gains 200 ATK for every Polaris Counter on the field until the End Phase." Dan grinned. "Since there are currently six, Fross gains 1200 ATK."

**Polaris Dragon Fross: ATK 2300 **→** 3500**

"Not bad," Skyler muttered.

"Well," Dan replied, scratching his head, "we all know that the Polaris Counters are the real prize out of all that, but while I have all those extra attack points, I might as well use them, don't you agree?"

"We most certainly do," Katie called out. "Go for it!"

"And how can you say 'no' to a face like that?" Dan grinned. "Battle time! Go, **Polaris Dragon Fross**, attack Sonicboom Dragon!" The dragon's scales flared with light, and it began drawing in energy.

"Stupid move," Skyler remarked. "Very stupid."

"Eh?" Dan said.

Skyler raised his hand. "I activate the effect of **Number 25: Sonicboom Dragon**! Once per turn, when my opponent's monster declares an attack, I can detach one of its Overlay Units to have Number 25 immediately declare an attack as well." The green dragon chomped down on one of its Overlay Units as soon as one came within reach.

**Number 25: Sonicboom Dragon: 2 **→** 1 OLU**

All four Deltas stared blankly at him.

Then Dan said, "Sorry, my hearing must've been damaged, could you repeat that?"

Skyler sighed. "When a monster you control declares an-"

"No no no, I got that bit," Dan replied impatiently. "I meant the bit about attacking."

"Ah," Skyler grinned. "No, you heard correctly. Number 25's effect allows it to declare an attack on your turn, at exactly the same moment as your monster. As for everything that occurs during battle, it will all happen simultaneously. Any battling monsters will deal damage to each other at the same moment, players will take Battle Damage at the same moment, and – if necessary – monsters will be destroyed at the same moment."

"But... no, hang on a sec..." On the sidelines, Matt was really struggling to come to terms with this. "That's not possible. You can't declare an attack on your opponent's turn; it's just not possible."

Skyler turned to grin at him, and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Tell that to him," he said, as Sonicboom Dragon spread its wings wide. "Oh, and while I'm at it, I should mention something else – another of Number 25's effects. As long as it's the only monster I control, it can attack players directly!"

"You what?" Dan gasped.

"Go, Number 25! Attack him directly!" Skyler declared. With a jet-like surge, the dragon eagerly took off. Fross followed it into the sky, watching its movements carefully. The dragons wheeled around each other in circles, Sonicboom Dragon building up speed, Fross looking for an opening.

Then, at the same moment, they both struck.

Sonicboom Dragon reached its critical velocity, and the air in front of it seemed to tear with the force, spreading out around it like a smokey, distorted halo. Oddly, there was no noise from it. At that very second, Sonicboom Dragon stopped dead in the air, and the halo immediately shrank down into a ball of condensed sound energy, clutched between the dragon's jaws. In the same second, Fross' scales flared with light once again, and it formed a sphere of ice energy in its own jaws. They launched their attacks at the same moment – Sonicboom Dragon aiming down towards the ground, and Fross aiming at the Number. Fross' attack struck the enemy dragon in the flank. Sonicboom Dragon howled with pain, and the icy shockwaves travelled to the ground and struck Skyler.

Sonicboom Dragon's attack, however, shot straight down and smashed into Dan. All of the sound and kinetic energy packed into that tiny sphere was suddenly released, with force of several explosions, and much the same sound. The Deltas screamed and covered their ears. When the blast cleared, Skyler was standing tall and upright, while Dan was lying in a crater, with a tiny trickle of blood seeping out of his right ear.

**Skyler LP:** 4000 → 2900

**Dan LP:** 4000 → 1600

Leah cried out and started running towards her downed friend, but Matt grabbed her and pulled her around to face him. "Don't!" he said. Leah could barely hear him, so she had to rely much on lip-reading. "You can't enter a Numbers' duel like that; it isn't safe. Stay here!"

She glared at him for a moment, then tugged her hand away and turned back to the duel. Thankfully, Dan was just getting back to his feet.

"Well... that was... unpleasant," he said, wobbling as he stood up. With the internal structures of one of his ears damaged, he was quickly finding that his sense of balance was impeded.

"Are you finished?" Skyler said coldly, brushing dust off his coat. There was a thud as Sonicboom Dragon landed behind him. Fross wasn't a Number, so it couldn't destroy Numbers by battle. Thus, the dragon was left unhurt by the attack.

Dan nodded in response. That simply movement almost caused him to topple over sideways. "Yeah, I'll place one card face-down and that's it." His set card appeared.

**Polaris Dragon Fross: ATK 3500 **→** 2300**

"Pitiful," Skyler said. "Human beings... so easily damaged..." He stared forlornly at his robotic arm for a few moments. "Only the strong can survive in a world like this, and the same is true for Numbers."

"Hey, that's rubbish!" Leah shouted. Beside her, the other two moaned in pain and covered their ears again. "Where's your sense of dueling spirit? Why do you even bother playing the game if you don't value most of the cards?"

"Because it is necessary," Skyler replied calmly. "I don't duel to enjoy myself, or to challenge myself, or to make friends. I duel to complete my objectives, and that's it. To me, dueling is a means to an end. Nothing more, nothing less."

Leah shook her head. "What a sad existence. I feel sorry for you, I really do."

Quite unexpectedly, Skyler flared up at this. "You! Don't you dare assume you know anything about my existence! You know nothing of this world, child! Or any other world! And especially not _my_ world!" Leah was quite astonished by his outburst. "And I don't need your pity, nor your philosophies! I just need your Numbers! Is that clear?"

"Crystal..." she replied, glaring back just as hard.

"I draw!" Skyler immediately resumed his move, apparently keen not to waste any more time. "Straight into battle, I think. Number 25, direct attack!" The dragon took off and began circling in the sky, building up to critical speed once again.

Dan struggled to respond quickly enough. "I activate the Counter Trap Card, Negate Attack!" The face-down card activated. "This card does exactly what the name suggests; it negates your attack and ends the current Battle Phase." As the dragon stopped dead once again and prepared to launch its sphere of sound energy, a spiral-shaped portal opened up on Dan's field. The dragon fired, but the sphere shot straight into the portal, which promptly closed behind it.

Skyler gritted his teeth. "You're just wasting time. Fine, I end my turn."

"Alright, I draw," Dan was really feeling the effects of that attack, but his entire demeanour changed when he saw his drawn card. A huge grin spread across his face. "Haha, you beauty!" He turned to look at the others, then looked back at Skyler. "I honestly never thought I'd say this, but thank you Doctor Lithon!"

Skyler's eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"

"Nothing," Dan grinned. "Now then, I Normal Summon Blizzard Dragon!" The icy blue dragon appeared next to Fross.

Blizzard Dragon: Dragon-Type/WATER/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1000

"Next, by removing one Polaris Counter from Fross, I can Special Summon this card from my hand." Dan held the card aloft, and one of the ice chunks changed back into its energy form and detached itself from Fross' body. Once off, it was immediately absorbed into the card like an Overlay Unit. "Appear, **Polaris Dragon Rhetta**!" With a flash of blue light, a snake-like monster appeared. Its body was made entirely out of blue ice, and it had two stubby arms with claws on the end.

**Polaris Dragon Fross: 6 **→** 5 Polaris Dragon Rhetta  
**

**Polaris Dragon Rhetta: Dragon-Type/Tuner/WATER/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 1600**

"Then I'll use Rhetta's effect," Dan declared. "Once per turn, I can remove any number of Polaris Counters from the field to increase its Level by one for each Counter removed. I'll remove three Counters from Fross." Three more icy orbs broke away from the larger dragon, and were absorbed into the body of the smaller one.

**Polaris Dragon Fross: 5 **→** 2 Polaris Counters  
**

**Polaris Dragon Rhetta: Level 1 **→ **4**

He grinned. "Ok, we're off! Level four Blizzard Dragon and **Polaris Dragon Rhetta**, Overlay!" Both dragons turned fully blue, the shot into the sky, spiralling around each other, to make way for a galaxy-style portal that opened beneath them. "I use these two monsters to construct the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon!" Both Material Monsters soared into the portal, which exploded violently. Accompanying the explosion was a cloud of steam, which rose from the portal like the mushroom cloud from a nuclear explosion. "Appear! **Number 55: Vapour Freeze**!"

A deep purple number fifty-five etched itself onto the right hand side of Dan's neck. With the sound of rushing wind, the cloud of steam rising out of the portal was sucked back down to earth, swirling around a colossal spherical chunk of ice. The sphere then began to vibrate violently, to the point where it looked like it was about to shatter. The steam was pulled even more thickly around the ice, enshrouding it, almost completely obscuring it from the world… suddenly, two piercing yellow eyes opened within the swirling steam, and looked around at the field, shining clearly through the cloud of steam. The two blue Overlay Units drifted around it, riding on the vapour currents that still encircled the frozen monster.

**Number 55: Vapour Freeze: Pyro-Type/Xyz/WATER/Rank 4/ATK 2100/DEF 1200 – 2 OLU**

* * *

Author-made cards:

Polaris Dragon Fross  
Dragon-Type/Tuner/WATER/Level 6/ATK 2300/DEF 2200  
_The most nocturnal dragon of the Polaris, it prefers the chilling cold of the night to the relative warmth of the day. Its glittering splendour during the night is unmatched among all of the Polaris Dragons._

Polaris Dragon Islingh  
Dragon-Type/WATER/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 300  
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by removing 3 Polaris Counters from the field. When a face-up WATER Dragon-Type monster (except "Polaris Dragon Islingh") you control is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, if this card is in the Graveyard: You can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard.

Polaris Dragon Rhetta  
Dragon-Type/Tuner/WATER/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 1600  
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by removing 1 Polaris Counter from the field. Once per turn: You can remove any number of Polaris Counters from the field; for each Polaris Counter removed, this card gains 1 Level until the End Phase.

Number 25: Sonicboom Dragon  
Dragon-Type/Xyz/WIND/Rank 7/ATK 2400/DEF 1700  
2 Level 7 monsters  
This card cannot be destroyed by battle, except by a "Number" monster. While you control no other monsters, this card can attack your opponent directly. Once per turn, when an opponent's monster declares an attack: You can detach 1 Overlay Unit from this card; this card immediately declares an attack (the Battle Step and Damage Step for both attacks occur simultaneously). This card must be in face-up Attack Position to activate and resolve this effect.

Number 55: Vapour Freeze (credit to Superjad)  
Pyro-Type/Xyz/WATER/Rank 4/ATK 2100/DEF 1200  
2 Level 4 monsters  
This card cannot be destroyed by battle, except by a "Number" monster. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Overlay Unit from this card, then target 1 face-up monster; apply 1 of these effects. ●Switch its current ATK and DEF. ●Halve its DEF.

Conviction of the Polaris  
Spell Card  
Target 1 face-up "Polaris" monster you control; place Polaris Counters on it equal to its Level, then it gains 200 ATK for each Polaris Counter on the field until the End Phase. You can only activate 1 "Conviction of the Polaris" per turn.

* * *

**Fun Fact #16: So, there you are. There's Sonicboom Dragon. Hopefully it didn't disappoint.**

**Fun Fact #17: Just to clarify, no, Sonicboom Dragon isn't Skyler's original Number. It's just another Number he collected, same as Tesseract Dragon. Skyler's original Number won't be revealed in this story.**

**Fun Fact #18: I just know that a certain someone (you know who you are) is going to send one of us a message saying that Sonicboom Dragon's effect is impossible, that attacks cannot be made on the opponent's turn, etc. To that person, I would like to point out that we once thought much the same thing about Normal Summoning monsters that are already on the field: "How would you ever do it?" we said. "It's not physically possible," we said. Then along came Gemini monsters, and boy were we surprised. You see, with something like this we can refer you back to Page 44 of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Official Rulebook (Version 8.0, and most previous versions as well). It states that, "If there is a discrepancy between the basic rules and a card's effect, the card effect takes precedence. For example, a monster can only attack once per turn, but with a card effect, it is possible to attack twice." There you have it, unnamed individual. Konami has our back.**

**Fun Fact #19: Well, it took a while to occur to me, but I've just realised how much the Hieratics would love Polaris Dragon Fross. A Level 6 Dragon-Type Normal Tuner monster? They would abuse that card to the ends of the earth and back. I'm not sure how they'd get the most out of its Synchro capacity though... probably by including a few Totem Dragons or Troop Dragons.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Skyler LP:** 2900

**Number 25: Sonicboom Dragon: Dragon-Type/Xyz/WIND/Rank 7/ATK 2400/DEF 1700 – 1 OLU**

Spell & Trap Card Zone: 1 set card

**Dan LP:** 1600

**Number 55: Vapour Freeze: Pyro-Type/Xyz/WATER/Rank 4/ATK 2100/DEF 1200 – 2 OLU**

**Polaris Dragon Fross: Dragon-Type/Tuner/WATER/Level 6/ATK 2300/DEF 2200 – 2 Polaris Counters  
**

Spell & Trap Card Zone: Water Hazard, 1 set card

Skyler looked up at the new arrival. "Seriously?" he said, with contempt dripping from his voice. "You're really going to pin your remaining hopes on that? A Number that weak?"

"Hey, don't insult it," Dan replied. "From my experience, there's no such thing as a weak Number." In the brief lull between moves, he wiped the trickle of blood off his cheek as best he could. "Alright then, let's get to it. I activate Vapour Freeze's effect! Once per turn, by detaching one of its Overlay Units, I can apply one of two different effects." One of the blue orbs broke orbit and sailed into the swirling mist surrounding the Number.

**Number 55: Vapour Freeze: 2 **→** 1 OLU**

"I'll choose the first effect," Dan stated.

"Which does what exactly?" Skyler asked, sounding bored.

"Oh, you'll love this," Dan grinned. "I target one face-up monster on the field, and swap its ATK with its DEF. I target Sonicboom Dragon!" With a strange buzzing sound, a gale of steam rushed towards Skyler's field, completely engulfing his dragon.

**Number 25: Sonicboom Dragon: ATK 2400 **→** 1700/DEF 1700 **→** 2400**

"What's your point?" Skyler snapped. "You know perfectly well that you can't attack Sonicboom Drag-"

"Yes, yes, I know," Dan interrupted. "If I attack it, then you'll just use its effect to attack me in return, and it still has enough ATK to finish me off."

Skyler grinned. "You've grown up, young Delta. The last time we duelled, you fell into every trap I laid, did everything I expected you to, and only won through an oversight on my part. Now you're actively identifying your own mistakes, which is a plus I suppose."

"Yeah, I suppose it is," Dan muttered. "And there's also something else you taught me in our last duel."

"Oh?" Skyler said. "And what might that be?"

"That I can't beat you by dueling normally. I just can't," Dan replied. "It's a simple fact; I can't defeat you, because you have too much conviction. You want to win more than I do. So the question is, how do I defeat someone like that?" There was a brief pause.

"Well go on, how?" Katie called.

Dan grinned. "By giving him what he wants."

Skyler blinked. "Pardon me?"

"You heard me," Dan repeated. "I'm going to do exactly what you want. For example, you want me to attack your Sonicboom Dragon, so I'm going to do just that!"

"You're not making any sense, boy," Skyler said. "It'll wipe you out!"

"Ah, you see there I have to disagree," Dan grinned. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, **Archlord's Blessing**!" The Spell materialized on his field, next to Water Hazard.

Katie's eyes widened. "Wait, what? How did he...?" she turned to Leah. "Did you...?"

She grinned mischievously. "I sure did."

Skyler gasped. "That card! Not again!"

"Glad you remember it," Dan said. "This card is activated when the ATK of a monster on the field changes. Then, this card doubles that change until the End Phase. In this case, the ATK of Sonicboom Dragon just dropped by 700, so this card will decrease its ATK by 700 more."

**Number 25: Sonicboom Dragon: ATK 1700 **→** 1000**

"And now, even if it does attack me, it doesn't have enough ATK to finish me off," Dan grinned. "Now, battle time! Vapour Freeze, attack Soni-"

"No, wait!" Matt shouted. "Dan, don't you dare! Just because its attack won't finish you off, doesn't mean you won't still lose life points! And when this thing damages your life points, it damages you! Don't attack it, seriously!"

Leah gasped as she realised he was right. "Oh god, what have I... Dan, listen, don't attack! You'll get hurt! Just stop, please!"

Dan stood there for a moment, not saying a word, his back to his friends. He seemed to be pondering what they had said. Vapour Freeze remained suspended above him, waiting for a command to be given.

Finally, he said three words, loudly and clearly. "Cover your ears."

"No! Don't!" Leah screamed, but it was too late.

"Battle! Vapour Freeze, attack Sonicboom Dragon!"

Vapour Freeze had been waiting for this. The spherical lump of ice began to spin on its axis, rotating faster and faster, creating air currents that drew the steam up and around it.

Skyler reacted instantly. "I activate Number 25's effect! When your monster declares an attack, I can detach one of its Overlay Units to have it declare an attack of its own!" The dragon's final green Overlay Unit shot into its mouth.

**Number 25: Sonicboom Dragon: 1 **→** 0 OLU**

"Here comes the pain, pathetic Delta!" Skyler shouted. "Number 25, attack him directly!" Sonicboom Dragon took off like a miniature jet, building up its speed like before. On the opposite side, Vapour Freeze's cloud of steam was now spinning so fast that it looked like a tornado.

Then the Numbers attacked. Sonicboom Dragon stopped dead in the air, and coalesced a much smaller sphere of sound energy in its jaws. It launched it as quickly as it could, and it shot straight down and struck Dan with an explosive boom. But as the dragon looked down smugly at the scene of destruction, it was suddenly blindsided by Vapour Freeze's tornado, which it had fired at the same moment. Sonicboom Dragon shrieked in pain, an ear-splitting sound almost as bad as the explosion caused by its own attack. The dragon dissipated into nothingness, but the currents of the tornado continued on their journey and struck Skyler. This time, both duelists cried out in pain... but due to the commotion caused by the Numbers' vicious attacks, neither duelist could be heard. When the steam and dust cleared, both duelists were lying on their backs.

**Skyler LP:** 2900 → 1800

**Dan LP:** 1600 → 600

Dan picked himself up shakily, swiftly examining his own body for any injuries. Aside from a few cuts and bruises, and a pounding headache, he felt ok. Then he felt something trickling down his right cheek. He touched it, and his hand glided through something wet. He checked his fingers: they were red. "Oh not again..." he groaned. "I thought you'd stopped bleeding now."

"Dan!" he heard someone shout. Wearily, he turned around to see his team waving at him. He waved back, to assure them that he was ok. It was Leah who had shouted. "That was absolutely stupid!" she called. "That was stupid, reckless, careless, dangerous, foolhardy, ridiculous, senseless, and juvenile!" Then she grinned reluctantly. "And just a little bit brilliant."

Katie laughed. "Pay no attention to the naysayers, Dan!" she called. "You keep going!"

Dan nodded, laughing along even though it was painful. Suddenly, his mind turned back to Skyler, and he turned back to his fallen opponent.

Once again, Skyler seemed to feel no pain when his Number was destroyed. Unfortunately, Vapour Freeze's attack had still been extremely powerful, enough to knock him to the ground. Now, he was struggling to his feet. The orange number twenty-five had disappeared from his hand, but the look of menace in his eyes was still there.

"So how was that, o' great and mighty Number hunter?" Dan taunted. "My weaker Number just took down your 'stronger' one with very little help. How does that feel?"

Skyler didn't say anything. Instead he just glared at Dan, apocalyptic fury in his eyes.

"Really, nothing?" Dan asked. Still Skyler said nothing. "Hmph, you're no fun. Oh well, on with things. It's still my Battle Phase, and I still have one other monster I can attack you with. So go, **Polaris Dragon Fross**! Direct attack!" The shining dragon's scales flashed with light as it prepare its attack.

Skyler responded quickly. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, Xyz Double Back!" His set card activated. "If I control no monsters, and one of my Xyz Monsters was destroyed during this turn, this card lets me revive that Xyz Monster, plus one other monster in my Graveyard with equal or less ATK. So reappear, **Number 25: Sonicboom Dragon** in Attack Position, and **Cosmic Corruptor LV2** in Defence Position!" Both monsters reformed themselves on Skyler's field. Sonicboom Dragon snarled at Vapour Freeze, looking furious with the way it had been treated. Without a monster having been banished for its Summoning, Cosmic Corruptor was just a cloud of purple smoke with black electricity surrounding it.

**Number 25: Sonicboom Dragon: Dragon-Type/Xyz/WIND/Rank 7/ATK 2400/DEF 1700 - 0 OLU  
**

**Cosmic Corruptor LV2: Machine-Type/DARK/Level 2/ATK 400/DEF 0**

"Dang," Dan muttered. "Fine, I redirect the attack to **Cosmic Corruptor LV2**!" With that, Fross fired a spectral ball of energy at the virus, which simply faded from existence the moment it was struck. "I'll place one card face-down and end my turn." Dan's second set card appeared beside his first.

"During the End Phase, any monster Summoned by Xyz Double Back is destroyed," Skyler said calmly. Sonicboom Dragon dissipated into particles of light, which streamed back into his Graveyard.

"Hang on," Dan said, confused. "That was one of your precious 'strong Numbers'. Why didn't you try harder to keep it on the field?"

Skyler stared at his Graveyard with a look of disgust. "Number 25 was defeated by a weakling Number. It's a piece of trash! It's worthless to me now."

"You... you sick-minded jerk!" Dan snapped. "Do you treat everything like that? Is there anything in your entire life that you've ever cared about? Ever! Answer me!"

Dan had been expecting Skyler to start shouting again, or to completely ignore him. But instead, Skyler looked down at his robotic arm, and something strange passed across his face. An emotion. It was only there for a split-second, but all four of the Deltas recognised it. It was sadness. A tiny glimpse of sadness.

"Once... a long time ago and so far away..." Skyler muttered. Then he looked back up, and his cold indifferent glare had returned. "But not anymore. She- I mean it... it's gone. It's gone forever. I lost it in a dark, empty, howling place. It was the worst thing I ever did. And now, the only thing I can believe in is my mission, and the only thing I can trust is my strength! Is that clear?"

Dan nodded tentatively, still trying to digest everything that Skyler had said. "But if you once believed in something, then there's no reason why you can't learn to-"

"Enough!" Skyler snapped. "I have no desire to discuss my history with you any further! We shall continue this duel, right now! My turn, draw!"

* * *

Author-made cards:

Polaris Dragon Fross  
Dragon-Type/Tuner/WATER/Level 6/ATK 2300/DEF 2200  
_The most nocturnal dragon of the Polaris, it prefers the chilling cold of the night to the relative warmth of the day. Its glittering splendour during the night is unmatched among all of the Polaris Dragons._

Cosmic Corruptor LV2  
Machine-Type/DARK/Level 2/ATK 400/DEF 0  
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by banishing 1 face-up Machine-Type monster you control. When you do: Increase this card's Level by the original Level of the banished monster.

Number 25: Sonicboom Dragon  
Dragon-Type/Xyz/WIND/Rank 7/ATK 2400/DEF 1700  
2 Level 7 monsters  
This card cannot be destroyed by battle, except by a "Number" monster. While you control no other monsters, this card can attack your opponent directly. Once per turn, when an opponent's monster declares an attack: You can detach 1 Overlay Unit from this card; this card immediately declares an attack (the Battle Step and Damage Step for both attacks occur simultaneously). This card must be in face-up Attack Position to activate and resolve this effect.

Number 55: Vapour Freeze (credit to Superjad)  
Pyro-Type/Xyz/WATER/Rank 4/ATK 2100/DEF 1200  
2 Level 4 monsters  
This card cannot be destroyed by battle, except by a "Number" monster. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Overlay Unit from this card, then target 1 face-up monster; apply 1 of these effects. ●Switch its current ATK and DEF. ●Halve its DEF.

Archlord's Blessing  
Quick-Play Spell Card  
When the ATK of a face-up monster changes: Target that monster; double that change until the End Phase.

* * *

**Fun Fact #20: Three Numbers in one story, I'd say that's pretty good going. But we're not done yet.**

**Fun Fact #21: To Forestfleet, sorry we couldn't reply to you directly, but we can't send PMs to people who don't have an account. To answer your question, no, Dan isn't possessed, and he's still wearing his band. That's just how Numbers work in this dimension. It's one of a few slight deviations we've made from the world of the canon. Firstly, Numbers' symbols always appear on the user regardless of whether they're possessed or not. Secondly, none of the Numbers are part of another archetype (don't worry, there is a reason).**

**Fun Fact #22: As Numbershooter pointed out (and rightly so), Number 25: Sonicboom Dragon would never be made into a real card. And that's a good thing. That means that the concept is ours, for ever and ever. That's not to say we wouldn't like to see Sonicboom Dragon released - it would bring a whole new dimension to the game.**

**Fun Fact #23: If you look back on the Chapter 4 carefully enough, you'll see the moment that Leah gave her Archlord's Blessing card to Dan. You'll find it just before Skyler snares Dan with his duel anchor, before the duel starts.**

**Fun Fact #25: So, we've had a chance to use some of the new archetypes on DN, such as the Heraldics, Hazy Flames, and Fire Kings. And we have a few things to say about them. Firstly, I really wish that we'd known about the Hazy Flames back when Skyler was dueling Shora (Number 39: Ignite-Mare's holder), as they would've fitted Shora's Deck perfectly, so we could've made it into a full duel. As for the Fire Kings, they're fantastic. We heartily recommend them to anyone and everyone.**

**Fun Fact #26: Have we ranted about FanFictionDotNet's proofreading system recently? No? Well here we go again. Now its starting to tell us off for using something called a "passive voice", where the writer obscures or omits the subject of the sentence. This isn't incorrect, FanFictionDotNet, it's just another way of writing, and most of the time it's necessary for writing dueling-related stories. Plus, it's your fault for not recognising words like "Number" and "Xyz Monster" as subjects. Stop telling us off for it.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Skyler LP:** 1800

**Dan LP:** 600

**Number 55: Vapour Freeze: Pyro-Type/Xyz/WATER/Rank 4/ATK 2100/DEF 1200 – 1 OLU**

**Polaris Dragon Fross: Dragon-Type/Tuner/WATER/Level 6/ATK 2300/DEF 2200 – 2 Polaris Counters  
**

Spell & Trap Card Zone: Water Hazard, 2 set cards

"Skyler, please wait," Dan tried to say, but the enemy hunter wasn't listening.

"I'll place one monster in face-down Defence Position," he said. His set monster materialized. "Then I activate the Spell Card, Swords of Revealing Light."

Something glinted above the field. As Dan looked up, a series of shining swords flew down from the sky, surrounding his field. Fross snarled at the swords around it. "Skyler, seriously, just stop a minute," he insisted.

"Stop wasting my time, Delta," Skyler retorted. "You can't change my mind, and you can't stop me. I end my turn there."

Dan stubbornly refused to draw. Instead, he turned to his friends. "Guys, help me out here," he pleaded.

Matt nodded. "Listen Skyler, we're a part of your life now whether you like it or not, so you're going to listen to what we have to say. You don't get a choice in the matter."

"Nothing is ever as bad as you think," Katie insisted. "And it's never too late to stop. You can always stop. You could stop what you're doing right now and join us."

Skyler looked genuinely disgusted at the idea. "Join you? Why on earth would I want to do that?"

"Because we're the good guys," Katie replied. "We're working to gather the Numbers and send them back to the Astral World. The Numbers are evil and destructive, and we're just trying to save our world from them, that's all. Why are you against that?"

Skyler stared at her for a moment, then shook his head with contempt. "You... you're utterly clueless, aren't you? I have nothing against your intentions, I have nothing against peace and, to be honest, I really have nothing against you either. My quarrel is with Professor Usur. I'm going to rip him apart and tear down his entire organisation! You people are just henchmen standing in my way!"

"Oh come on, just listen to yourself!" Matt cried in exasperation. "Professor Usur is the one who put us up to this mission. He's a good guy."

"Professor Usur is about as bad as a guy can get!" Skyler shouted back. "The things he's done are horrific, and the things he's going to do are even worse!"

"Oh really?" Leah asked sarcastically. "And what might those things be?"

"You won't listen to me, you'll just ask him yourself," Skyler spat. "He'll tell you exactly what you want to hear, and you'll carry on living your lives in ignorance, while people like me are out there actually fighting to protect humanity! I'm the good guy here, not him!"

"Ok, stop right there!" Leah snarled. "There's no way you can call yourself a good person after everything you've done. You physically and mentally injure the very people you say you're trying to protect! How is that good?"

"It's a price worth paying!" Skyler retorted. "To keep the Numbers away from you and your boss. For the greater good!"

Matt was all set to argue some more, but Dan held up a hand to stop him. "Leave it Matt," he said. "We can't reason with him. I'll just have to get my point across the old fashioned way."

Matt nodded. "Be careful."

"Careful?" Dan grinned. "I tried that once. Ever so dull." The girls laughed as Dan began his move. "I draw. First, I Normal Summon Twin-Headed Behemoth!" The double-headed dragon creature appeared on Dan's field.

Twin-Headed Behemoth: Dragon-Type/WIND/Level 3/ATK 1500/DEF 1200

"Next, I activate the Spell Card, Twin Dragons," Dan declared, placing the card in his duel disk. "This card lets me Special Summon one Dragon-Type monster from my hand, with the same Level as a Dragon-Type monster on my field. Appear, Masked Dragon!" The well-known red and beige dragon materialized.

Masked Dragon: Dragon-Type/FIRE/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 1100

Leah cheered excitedly. "Yes! Here it comes!"

"Now, Level three Twin-Headed Behemoth and Masked Dragon, Overlay!" The two dragons turned fully green and red respectively and shot up into the sky, clearing the way for a galaxy-shaped portal to open beneath them. "I use these two monsters to construct the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon!" Both monsters flew into the portal, which erupted with light. "Appear, **Number 68: Glacial Dragon**!"

A blue number sixty-eight flashed over the field and onto the back of Dan's right hand, as out of the residue of the portal rose a massive dragon egg. It was black, white, and light-blue, and its texture was far from smooth, with a bumpy surface and regular gaps where a scaly skin was visible. With a loud crack, the egg split down the middle and began to divide, showering the field with lumps of ice. More ice shattered as the creature inside uncurled itself from the egg, and split the egg further by spreading its wings. The ground was soon littered with chunks of ice. With a final effort, the dragon finally uncurled itself completely – revealing that the egg had really been its curled-up body covered in ice – and flapped its wings once, brushing both duelists with an icy wind. The dragon had a black and white snake-like body with light blue highlights, a tail with a membrane on the end much like a fish, two long whiskers curling away from its nose (both drifting about in the breeze), and piercing teal eyes. The blue number sixty-eight was imprinted on its forehead, and it was orbited by two blue Overlay Units.

**Number 68: Glacial Dragon: Dragon-Type/Xyz/WATER/Rank 3/ATK 1000/DEF 1000 – 2 OLU**

Skyler sighed. "This thing again? Really?"

"Careful now Skyler," Dan teased. "You insulted Vapour Freeze when it first appeared, and you saw what happened. Now, I activate Glacial Dragon's effect! Once per turn, I can target one face-up card on the field, and negate its effects until the End Phase. I target Swords of Revealing Light!" The icy dragon drew back its head and launched a ball of white energy at the Spell Card. It flared with light on contact, and when it faded, the Spell was frozen solid, and the glowing swords had disappeared from Dan's field.

"Clever, kid," Skyler grunted.

"Battle time!" Dan declared. "**Number 55: Vapour Freeze**, attack the face-down monster!" The spherical monster began to spin, drawing its cloak of steam around it into a small tornado, which it launched at the set monster. The Deltas got a quick glimpse of a small, worm-like mechanical dragon before it was destroyed.

Cyber Larva: Machine-Type/LIGHT/Level 1/ATK 400/DEF 600

"Cyber Larva's effect activates." Skyler interrupted. "When this card is destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon another copy of Cyber Larva from my Deck!" A second larva appeared to replace the first.

Cyber Larva: Machine-Type/LIGHT/Level 1/ATK 400/DEF 600

Dan sighed. "This isn't going to get through is it? Oh well, **Polaris Dragon Fross**, attack Cyber Larva!" Fross fired a spectral ball of energy at the maggot-like creature, destroying it.

"And now I can Special Summon my third copy," Skyler said dispassionately.

Cyber Larva: Machine-Type/LIGHT/Level 1/ATK 400/DEF 600

"**Number 68: Glacial Dragon**, get rid of it! Ice nova!" The dragon charged a pure white sphere of light between its jaws, then fired a beam of light at the final Cyber Larva, incinerating it in icy flames. "Well, I didn't get at your life points this time, but it was worth a try. I end my turn."

"I have to disagree, young Delta," Skyler retorted. "I don't even think that was worth the effort. That was pitiful." He sighed. "Oh well, I suppose it's to be expected. My turn, draw. First, I Normal Summon **Satellite Transer**!" A brand new Machine-Type monster appeared, which seemed to resemble some sort of outer space docking station.

**Satellite Transer: Machine-Type/LIGHT/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0**

"Next I activate the Spell Card, Iron Call, to revive a Level four or lower Machine-Type monster from my Graveyard," Skyler explained. "I choose **Cosmic Corruptor LV2**!" The purple-cloud monster was revived for the second time.

**Cosmic Corruptor LV2: Machine-Type/DARK/Level 2/ATK 400/DEF 0**

"Now I'll activate another Spell Card, Machine Duplication," Skyler grinned savagely, placing the second Spell Card on his duel disk. "This card Special Summons all copies of any Machine-Type monster I control with 500 or less ATK. So come on out, two **Cosmic Corruptor LV2**s!" Two more purple clouds appeared.

**Cosmic Corruptor LV2: Machine-Type/DARK/Level 2/ATK 400/DEF 0**

**Cosmic Corruptor LV2: Machine-Type/DARK/Level 2/ATK 400/DEF 0**

"Then I'll activate **Satellite Transer**'s effect," he declared. "Once per turn, by sending up to two monsters with Satellite in their name from my Deck to the Graveyard, this card's Level is increased by their combined Levels. So I send Satellite Cannon and Satellite Base to my Graveyard." His duel disk extracted the cards, and he placed them in his Graveyard. "Satellite Cannon is Level five, and Satellite Base is Level four. Five plus four equals nine, so **Satellite Transer** gains nine Levels." A ghostly image of Satellite Cannon and Satellite Base appeared over Skyler's field, and were absorbed into the docking station.

**Satellite Transer: Level 1 **→** 10**

"Ok, I can see where this is going," Dan muttered. "And it's going to end very badly for me, isn't it?"

"Indeed," Skyler agreed. "Now I activate the Spell Card, Shift Up!" The Spell materialized behind his line of monsters. "With this card, the Levels of all monsters I control will change to equal the monster with the highest Level I control. Since the highest Level I have is the Level ten **Satellite Transer**, all three of my **Cosmic Corruptor LV2**s will change to match it."

**Cosmic Corruptor LV2: Level 2 **→** 10**

**Cosmic Corruptor LV2: Level 2 **→** 10**

**Cosmic Corruptor LV2: Level 2 **→** 10**

"Now, Level ten **Satellite Transer** and all three **Cosmic Corruptor LV2**s, Overlay!" Transer turned completely yellow, while the other three monsters became purple. At the same moment, all four monsters shot up into the air. In the clouds above them, a massive galaxy-style portal opened – the biggest one any of them had ever seen. The entire sky was just a seething mass of blue energy, being sucked into the portal. "I use these four monsters to construct the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon!" The four energy-signatures representing the Material Monsters spiralled up into the portal, one after the other. Then, the portal exploded with light... the light of a thousand suns. Dan squinted and averted his eyes, dazzled by the burning radiance above him. And even with one of his eardrums damaged, he could still hear Skyler, announcing the arrival of his new monster. "Take witness! This is the strongest Number I have ever Summoned! The keeper of the starlight! **Number 53: Alpha Centauri**!"

It was no good. Dan couldn't look up. The light was too blinding, and he didn't think his senses could take much more of a pummelling. He was well aware of a colossal figure suspended in the sky above him, blocking out the sun. The problem was, it was producing so much light of its own that he couldn't look at it, even with the sun hidden from view. All he could see past his own monsters was Skyler, standing tall and proud, staring straight up at the new creature, apparently unaffected by the dazzling light.

Dan risked a quick glance over his shoulders, and saw that his friends were likewise incapacitated. They were all either covering their eyes or looking away. He heard Leah shout across the field, "Be careful! This thing looks like trouble!" Dan nodded. As if he hadn't already worked that out.

"Ready yourself, young Delta, because here I come! Battle time!"

Dan gasped. Skyler was preparing to give his monster an order while his back was turned. He quickly turned back to see which of his monsters Skyler would be attacking... and his eyes widened in shock...

His monsters were gone.

Glacial Dragon, Vapour Freeze, Fross... all three of his monsters had simply vanished. He looked down at his duel disk, and found that their cards had vanished as well. Desperately, he cycled through options on his D-Gazer, trying to work out where they were.

Within seconds, he'd ascertained that they weren't in his Graveyard, or banished, or in his Extra Deck. Plus his duel disk's auto-shuffle function hadn't been used recently, so they couldn't have been shuffled into the Main Deck. Nor were they in his hand.

As Dan was examining his hand, he noticed something else. The blue number sixty-eight had vanished from the back of his right hand. It was just gone, as though it had never been there. But how was that possible? He hadn't felt a thing.

He shivered. Now he was really scared. What was happening?

The light was so intense now that he could barely make out his opponent. Nevertheless, he had the distinct impression that Skyler was laughing at him. Indeed, his voice seemed to carry some amusement as he ordered the attack. "Go, **Number 53: Alpha Centauri**! Direct attack!"

He took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. _'It's ok,' _he thought to himself. _'A direct attack, no matter how powerful, is just a direct attack.' _He grinned. _'And I have just the cards to stop it!' _"Alrighty, I activate the Trap Card, Mirror F-" he trailed off as he noticed something else, something that made his blood run cold.

His Spell and Trap Cards were gone too.

When he had ended his turn, he'd had two face-down cards: Mirror Force and Draining Shield. And now they had both vanished, just like his monsters. Even his Water Hazard card was gone, the Continuous Spell he'd had in play since the start of the duel.

He collapsed to his knees, helpless. There was nothing he could do. He was wide open.

"Hmph, simply pathetic," Skyler snorted. "You see? Even people like you are helpless when faced with true power. **Number 53: Alpha Centauri**, put him out of his misery!"

The creature above him was starved and bitter, and that had made it cruel, so it didn't launch its attack immediately. Instead, it allowed the defeated enemy hunter to sit there a moment longer, wallowing in despair, before it decided to attack. Within its jaws, it charged a comet of pure light energy, then blasted it down at the world below. Dan looked up fearfully to watch the attack coming. As it loomed closer and closer, he was suddenly granted a moment of clarity in his vision. And that's when he saw it. The silhouette of the great beast hovering above them, blocking out not just the sun, but most of the sky as well. A vast and majestic creature, with a thin body, and so many tails...

Then the comet struck him, and from his position at the very centre of the blast, it felt like the entire world exploded.

**Skyler LP:** 1800 [WINNER]

**Dan LP:** 600 → 0

Even from the outside, the explosion was colossal. The other three Deltas were actually blown back by the force of it. They landed on their backs, winded and gasping, and being pelted by chunks of dirt. Matt rolled over, clutching his already-tender ears, which were now ringing even worse than ever after that sound.

"Leah! Katie! Are you all right?" he shouted desperately.

"Yeah, we're fine!" Katie shouted. "We're both ok!" Matt sighed with relief, then he sat up and surveyed the scene in front of them, Katie and Leah doing likewise.

It was a struggle to see through the light that was still blazing down from above, but as their eyes adjusted, they began to make out details. The entire park had been destroyed. The fences had been blown down, there were chunks of earth and grass scattered everywhere, and there was a forty-foot wide creator where Dan had stood. Now he was lying in the middle of it, on the edge of consciousness. Skyler was making his way over to him, slowly and purposefully.

"No! NO!" Leah screamed, jumping to her feet, and charging towards Skyler. "Don't you touch him! Leave him alone!"

Skyler glanced at her and muttered something under his breath. A command. "Keep them back."

Leah didn't even see what hit her. All she knew was that she was running, and then something massive and unseen smashed into her with the force of a truck. She was knocked several yards backwards and landed on her back once again, dazed, with the taste of blood in her mouth. A single golden hair, about twelve feet long, landed gently next to her.

Skyler, meanwhile, hadn't even broken his stride. He was now towering over Dan, who was looking up at him dazed and uncomprehendingly. With a sense of calm, Skyler knelt down beside him and placed his robotic arm on Dan's chest.

"I apologise for this, young Delta," he said softly. And he meant it. Beneath his metallic fingertips, he felt the boy's Numbers clustering together on the edge of his soul, drawn to the cybernetic enhancement. "But I'm afraid this is where your hunt ends." With one solid movement, he pulled. He squinted against the sudden flash of light, and hardened his heart at the familiar feeling of someone's soul being ripped apart at his very fingertips.

But the screams of agony echoing across the park... he listened to those with a savage joy.

* * *

Author-made cards:

Polaris Dragon Fross  
Dragon-Type/Tuner/WATER/Level 6/ATK 2300/DEF 2200  
_The most nocturnal dragon of the Polaris, it prefers the chilling cold of the night to the relative warmth of the day. Its glittering splendour during the night is unmatched among all of the Polaris Dragons._

Satellite Transer  
Machine-Type/LIGHT/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0  
Once per turn: You can send up to 2 "Satellite" monsters from your Deck to the Graveyard; increase this card's Level by the combined Levels of those sent monsters, until the End Phase.

Cosmic Corruptor LV2  
Machine-Type/DARK/Level 2/ATK 400/DEF 0  
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by banishing 1 face-up Machine-Type monster you control. When you do: Increase this card's Level by the original Level of the banished monster.

Number 55: Vapour Freeze (credit to Superjad)  
Pyro-Type/Xyz/WATER/Rank 4/ATK 2100/DEF 1200  
2 Level 4 monsters  
This card cannot be destroyed by battle, except by a "Number" monster. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Overlay Unit from this card, then target 1 face-up monster; apply 1 of these effects. ●Switch its current ATK and DEF. ●Halve its DEF.

Number 68: Glacial Dragon  
Dragon-Type/Xyz/WATER/Rank 3/ATK 1000/DEF 1000  
2 Level 3 monsters  
This card cannot be destroyed by battle, except by a "Number" monster. Once per turn: you can target 1 face-up card on the field; negate its effects until the End Phase. Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can detach 1 Overlay Unit from this card; this card gains ATK equal to the ATK of the detached monster in the Graveyard until the End Phase.

* * *

**Fun Fact #27: This is the day when things get real.**


	8. Chapter 8

Matt cried out in anguish and ran over to where Leah had landed. Katie followed him over, and went straight for her wrist, feeling for a pulse. Matt watched her apprehensively. "She's ok," Katie said, letting her wrist fall. "Just unconscious."

Matt breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," he said. "I just... if she had-" Then they both heard their teammate scream in pain.

"Dan!" Katie shouted, leaping to her feet and starting to run towards where Skyler was kneeling. Matt grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Let me go!" she shouted. "I have to help him!"

"You can't go over there!" Matt cried. "You saw what happen to Leah! Whatever that... that..." he pointed at the sky, toward the creature they still couldn't see, "...that thing is, it'll knock you out the moment you go near them! I'm the leader! I'm responsible for you all! That means you have to do as I say!"

Katie shook her head. "That means you're responsible for him as well! You've got to let me try!"

Matt was about to reply, but the cries stopped before he could. And then everything seemed to settle. The final buzzer went off, signalling the end of the duel. The augmented reality descended around them, and the radiant creature in the sky faded from view, although the damage it had done to the park remained.

Skyler stood up slowly, clearly in a great deal of pain, clutching a bundle of cards in his robotic right hand. He held up his left hand and looked at it expectantly, and sure enough, six numbers flashed across the back of his hand – sixty-eight, twenty, three, fifty-five, eighty-six, forty. He nodded with satisfaction, then pocketed the cards and turned to walk away.

"Hey, stop right there!" Matt shouted, running over to him, Katie close behind. "You're not going anywhere, pal!"

Skyler stopped and waited for them to get closer before speaking. When he did speak, his voice sounded strained and dry. "I suggest you tend to your ally rather than going after me," he muttered. "He's not dead, but people who stand in my way don't tend to make it out unscathed." With that, he carried on walking, perfectly nonchalantly, towards the nearest exit from the field.

Matt glared after him for a moment longer, seething with rage, desperate to go after the guy and rip his throat out. But Katie was calling him, asking for his help. And Skyler was right: they couldn't abandon their friends.

Reluctantly, he turned away from Skyler to help her check Dan. What he saw made his blood run cold. Dan was covered in bruises and cuts, and his ear was bleeding freely again. Katie found it eerily reminiscent of when she'd found Skyler's last victim. Dan was also clearly unconscious, but despite this, his eyes were stretched wide open, the shock and pain he had felt still clearly visible on his face.

Hardening his heart, Matt tried to work systematically, checking for a pulse and any sign of conscious reaction. He then started tending to some of the major injuries while Katie phoned for an ambulance. As she dialled the number, he could see her hands shaking, and noticed the tears in her eyes. He struggled to keep his own sobs in check as he kept working.

And from across the park came James voice, loud and familiar, as he ran towards the scene. "Hey guys! Am I too late to help?"

*SEVERAL HOURS LATER*

Leah awoke with a pounding headache.

Slowly and tentatively, she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was in incredibly bright light emanating from above her. She groaned and squinted, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the glare.

"Stay still," said a voice from above her. "Just relax. You're safe now."

She heard the voice and understood what it was saying, but being Leah, she ignored it and reached up, trying to touch the person who had spoken, to work out where they were.

A hand gently took hold of hers. She gasped in shock and sat bolt upright, ripping her hand out of that persons grip and getting ready to lash out at them.

"Leah, Leah, calm down!" the voice said, and now she realised it was a female voice. "Don't panic. You're safe."

"Just breathe," said another voice; a male one. "Take a deep breath, then look around."

Leah was practically running on adrenaline, but when she heard those soothing words, and realised that she was perfectly free to move, she decided to listen. She took a few deep, calming breaths to bring her heart rate under control, then glanced around her environment.

She quickly began ascertaining things. Firstly, she was in a bed. Secondly, it wasn't her bed. Nor was it her room. It was a clean, white room with a bright fluorescent light above her and several pieces of machinery beside her bed. Sitting around her were her friends – Katie, Matt and James – watching her apprehensively in case she lashed out again.

The moment she recognised them, she threw her arms around the nearest one of them, which happened to be Katie.

"Gah," Katie gasped, returning the hug. "You never listen, do you? I told you to relax."

Leah broke off smiling, then asked the obvious question. "Where am I?"

"You're in hospital," James said, then laughed at the look on surprise on her face. "Don't worry, you're fine. Just a mild concussion, nothing major. You were pretty lucky."

Leah rubbed the back of her head, and sure enough, she felt a small lump beneath her fingertips. She let her hand fall and looked around at the others. "How did I end up here?"

"You don't remember?" Katie asked.

"I remember... um..." Leah struggled to recall the details. "There was a duel... and a light... and Dan was-" she gasped as she remembered. "Dan! Dan was dueling Skyler."

Katie nodded. "Yeah. You tried to interfere in the duel, and Skyler's Number knocked you out cold."

"But the duel," Leah insisted. "What happened? Who won?" Katie started to answer, but seemed to choke on her words. "What?" Leah asked. "What is it? Just tell me."

"Dan lost," Matt said, picking up the story. "Skyler defeated him with that monstrous Number. You tried to run over and rescue him, and that's when the Number hit you."

"But... but you guys were there, right?" Leah said, starting to get scared. "You saved him, didn't you? He's ok, right?"

Matt paused, looking uncomfortable. Leah heard Katie sniff beside her. "No," he said finally. "We were too late. We couldn't save him."

Leah felt like the Earth had opened up beneath her. "Then, is he... is he dead?"

"No, no," Matt shook his head. "He's alive and stable. He woke up about half an hour ago."

"We spent a little time chatting with him," James added. "Then we came in to check on you."

Leah squealed with joy. "Yes! I knew it! Where is he? I want to see him!"

"He's in room fifty-three, a few wards down," Matt said. "But Leah, you have to understand... he was dueling Skyler. Duelists who lose to Skyler aren't always-"

But Leah wasn't listening. She had leapt out of bed and flung open the door before Matt had even finished talking. He watched her run off down the hallway with a feeling of dread.

"You should've told her," James said. "She shouldn't have to find out like this."

"I know... I'm sorry," Matt muttered, burying his face in his hands. "I just didn't have it in me."

Katie stood up. "Well, come on then," she said, wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeve. "We should at least be there for this." The boys nodded and stood up with her.

*MEANWHILE*

There were shouts being hurled at Leah from all directions. People yelling at her to stop running like a loony, to get back into bed, to stop endangering the staff… she just didn't care. Her only thought was to get to the room where her friend was. She turned a corner. More shouts. More orders. Still she ran. She turned another corner...

And there it was, just like they'd said. Room fifty-three. She flung open the door, and cried out with happiness. There was Dan, sitting in bed, reading a magazine. He had a bandage round his head, and both of his arms were covered in plasters, but otherwise he seemed perfectly healthy.

He looked up at her and smiled. "Why hello there," he said.

She couldn't hold it back anymore. She leapt into the room and pulled him into a tight hug, her eyes blurring with tears of joy. Dan returned the hug surprisingly gently. She assumed it was due to his numerous injuries.

When she pulled away, she dried her eyes and grinned at him. "So, how're you feeling?" she asked.

Dan was looking at her with an expression she didn't recognise, like a mixture of confusion and bemusement. "Not bad," he said. "The doctors just came to check up on me; they said I can go home tomorrow."

"Ah, that's brilliant," she smiled. "I bet you're so excited to get out of here."

"Yeah, I suppose I am," Dan said thoughtfully. "By the way, sorry if I'm being rude but... who are you?"

Leah froze.

"What did you say?" she asked.

"Sorry," Dan said, rubbing the back of his head. "We've been talking, and clearly you're very happy to see me, but I never actually asked you your name. I know that's rude of me, but-"

"No... hang on," Leah felt her joy evaporate in an instant. "You... we... I'm Leah! You must know who I am."

"Leah..." Dan seemed to consider the word for a moment. "That's a nice name. It's a pleasure to meet you Leah."

Leah didn't know what to say. In desperation, she turned to the door, where Matt, James, and Katie were standing, watching the whole scene. "What's going on?" she said shakily. "Because if this is some sort of trick-"

"I'm sorry," Matt said quietly. "I am so, so sorry, Leah... but you're going to have to be brave now."

She felt the ground open up beneath her once again. Slowly, she turned back to see Dan smiling at Matt. "Oh, hello again," he said. Then he looked back at Leah. "This guy, um... Matt, I think his name was... he came to see me a while ago. He told me that I'm part of some group that goes around hunting cards from people. But not just cards: evil, living cards. I mean, can you imagine? How crazy is that?" He paused for a moment. "And he mentioned you as well. The girl with the dark blonde hair. He said that you and I were friends..."

"No, not just friends. We were best friends," Leah said desperately. She walked sat down on the edge of Dan's bed and looked him straight in the eyes. "Dan... please tell me you know who I am."

Dan looked straight back, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry, but we've never met."

And that's when Leah broke down. She threw her arms around him again, crying not with happiness, but with total and absolute despair. The sobs racked her body. Dan tried to comfort her, but was still totally perplexed as to what was going on.

Matt watched the scene with sadness and fury. Sadness because of what had been done to his friends. And fury at Skyler. That man may have spared Dan's life, but instead, he had taken away the most important thing to a human being on the planet.

He had wiped out their bonds.

* * *

**Fun Fact #28: Just as Skyler said, people don't get killed when they lose to him, but that doesn't mean they escape unscathed.**

**Fun Fact #29: We genuinely believe that this is the most hideous punishment that Skyler could've inflicted on a person. Harrison lost all sense of his surroundings, Andrea became petrified of dueling, but this is much worse. Obviously, Skyler has no control over this (his extraction method damages different people in different ways), but that doesn't mean he isn't to blame for what happened.**

**Fun Fact #30: On a lighter note, we turned the Satellite series into an archetype in the last chapter. Yay.**

**Fun Fact #31: You'll see Number 53: Alpha Centauri in full action eventually. But for now, we're not saying anything more about it. You'll just have to speculate on what its effect could be.**


End file.
